The sea region where Rowan currently operated had a dense concentration of islands. It was known as the Orchika Sea, one of the five major sea areas within the West Blue.
Although it was only a single region within the West Blue, the pirate forces here were noticeably stronger than those found in the comparatively peaceful East Blue.
Among them, the highest known pirate bounty had reached 35 million Berries, while pirates with bounties of ten or twenty million were far too numerous to count on both hands.
However.
Including Great Cleaver Lordes, four pirates with bounties exceeding ten million Berries had already fallen at Rowan's hands.
It was now the tenth year of the Great Pirate Era. The territories of the Four Emperors had begun to take shape, but the system of the Seven Warlords of the Sea had yet to fully stabilize into the organized force it would later become.
For Rowan, dreams of challenging the Four Emperors, confronting the Shichibukai, or standing against the Marines and even the Gorosei were still far beyond his current reach.
At least for now.
Half a day later, Rowan arrived at the nearest island that housed a Marine branch.
The island itself was small, with only a single modest town. It was a place Rowan had visited many times before.
"That's… Ghost Hand Rowan!"
As soon as Rowan walked into town from the harbor, many of the townspeople immediately showed expressions of unease. Some hurriedly pulled their children back indoors, while others quickly shut their doors.
Although bounty hunters also fought pirates, their profession was not regarded with the same respect as the Marines. After all, most bounty hunters were motivated by money rather than justice.
Rowan paid little attention to their reactions.
He didn't particularly like pirates, but he didn't like the Marines much either.
Pirates were criminals who roamed the seas without restraint, while Marines were bound by rigid orders and hierarchy, often forced to act against their own conscience. Worse still, Rowan had seen more than a few corrupt Marines whose actions were even more disgusting than those of the pirates they claimed to oppose.
Compared to both sides, the life of a bounty hunter was far more free and straightforward.
"Ghost Hand Rowan is here again!"
"Didn't he just come less than half a month ago?"
Rowan's appearance immediately stirred up a commotion within the local Marine branch. Numerous Marines rushed about in alarm.
Many recruits and lower-ranking soldiers stared nervously at the severed head Rowan was carrying. Their faces turned pale, sweat forming on their foreheads as they swallowed uneasily.
Before long, the highest-ranking officer of this branch arrived.
Captain Moby entered the hall wearing a Marine cloak emblazoned with the word "Justice."
"Who is it this time?" Moby asked in a serious tone, his expression far from pleasant.
Their Marine base sometimes went two or three months without capturing a single pirate worth more than ten million Berries. Yet this bounty hunter had delivered three such heads in just two months.
While it was certainly good that dangerous pirates were being eliminated, it also reflected poorly on the Marines' own capabilities.
"Great Cleaver Lordes. Bounty: 16 million Berries."
Rowan calmly pulled a wanted poster from his coat and placed it on the table for verification.
Captain Moby's expression shifted slightly in surprise.
"Lordes… was killed by you?"
He had personally led a squad to hunt Lordes once before, only for the pirate captain to escape. To think that in less than a month, Lordes had ended up dead at Rowan's hands.
After a quick glance at the head on the table, Moby confirmed that it was indeed Great Cleaver Lordes.
"Wait here. I need to report this to my superiors."
Moby gave Rowan a long, thoughtful look before turning and heading into his office.
Not long afterward, he returned.
"Confirmation complete. The bounty will be delivered shortly."
He paused for a moment, then added in a somewhat reluctant tone, "The Marines have been recruiting lately. Headquarters asked me to ask if you'd be interested in joining. If you agree, you could be granted the rank of Lieutenant Colonel as a special exception."
"Lieutenant Colonel?" Rowan repeated with a faint chuckle.
"Wouldn't that put me directly under your command? I'll pass. I don't enjoy taking orders."
Moby snorted.
Truthfully, he hadn't wanted Rowan in the Marines to begin with. Now that the bounty hunter had refused, it saved him the trouble.
A few hours later, the 16 million Berry bounty was delivered in full, packed neatly into a heavy backpack.
Rowan opened it briefly, glanced inside, and without bothering to count, slung it over his shoulder and left.
"Captain, are we really just going to let him keep doing this?"
Commander Leika stood beside Moby, staring at Rowan's departing figure with a cold expression.
"Let him do what?" Moby replied sharply. "If you want to regain the Marines' reputation, then get out there and capture those pirates yourself instead of complaining."
"...Yes, sir."
Leika clenched his fists, his face twitching, but ultimately lowered his head in submission.
By the time Rowan left the Marine branch, night had already fallen.
He had no fear of being robbed. Carrying the backpack full of Berries, he boarded his small boat and set sail for home.
The island where Rowan lived was of medium size, containing seven or eight towns and a fairly prosperous central city. His residence was located in one of the quieter outer towns.
When he finally returned, it was already early the next morning.
"Oh, Rowan is back!"
"Was the trip smooth? You're not hurt, are you?"
"Have you eaten yet? We just made some noodles—come have a bowl!"
Unlike the wary residents near the Marine base, the people of Rowan's hometown treated him warmly.
A few months earlier, when pirates had attacked the town, it was Rowan who had stepped forward and driven them off single-handedly. Since then, he had been regarded as a local hero.
Rowan greeted everyone with a smile before returning to his small house.
He tossed the heavy backpack onto his bed and collapsed beside it, exhausted.
He slept straight through until afternoon.
After waking up, Rowan took a moment to calculate his current savings.
"I've got a little over forty million Berries now. That's enough to buy a decent-sized ship."
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"But crew members… that's the real problem."
One person came to mind almost immediately.
Nico Robin.
She was currently hiding somewhere on this very island, working within an underground intelligence organization in the central city.
From Rowan's perspective, Robin would be an ideal crew member intelligent, capable, knowledgeable, and calm under pressure.
There was just one major issue.
Her bounty of 79 million Berries.
"Ultimately, I'm still too weak," Rowan muttered.
"If I had strength on the level of the Four Emperors, I could recruit Robin without worrying about the Marines or the World Government."
He shook his head and pushed the thought aside.
For now, he needed to focus on growing stronger.
Rowan left his house to find something to eat before returning to resume his training.
While physical training didn't increase his Talent System proficiency, it still strengthened his body in natural ways.
His current physique was far from impressive.
Which meant there was still enormous room for improvement.