Inside his cabin, Rowan focused inward and opened the interface of his internal system.
He first selected the battle-type talent tree.
His gaze swept past the familiar branches Rokushiki techniques, Haki categories, and Devil Fruit enhancement paths before he prepared to switch to the general-type talents to further invest in Physical Enhancement.
But something stopped him.
One branch, previously dim and inactive, now glowed with a clear, vibrant green.
Observation Haki.
Rowan's eyes narrowed slightly.
That had not been available before.
He immediately shifted his attention to its sibling branch.
Armament Haki remained gray.
Unactivated.
Unavailable.
His physique had not yet satisfied the conditions required to unlock it.
"Observation is available… Armament isn't."
Rowan leaned back in his chair, thoughtful.
He had already mastered several Rokushiki techniques Soru and Kami-e among them. Kami-e, in particular, enhanced evasive perception and body responsiveness. It sharpened instinct, loosened muscle tension, and allowed his body to flow around attacks.
But Rokushiki was not Haki.
Kami-e allowed one to evade visible, trackable strikes punches, sword swings, straightforward gunfire.
Observation Haki Kenbunshoku Haki was something else entirely. It granted perception beyond sight. Intent. Killing aura. Trajectory prediction.
The difference between reacting and foreseeing.
"Perhaps mastering Kami-e raised the threshold enough," Rowan murmured.
He glanced at another Rokushiki branch.
Tekkai.
Iron Body.
He had already met the activation condition months ago after raising his physical attributes. But he had refrained from spending a precious free talent point on it. Tekkai required stationary bracing and reduced mobility useful, but restrictive.
Now he had three meaningful choices:
Activate Observation Haki immediately.
Activate Tekkai to potentially meet the threshold for Armament Haki.
Activate Geppo Moonwalk granting aerial mobility.
He exhaled slowly.
"First strength."
No matter the direction of growth, physical foundation was the root of everything in this world. Even Haki scaled with bodily vitality and spirit.
Rowan switched to the general-type talent interface.
He invested fifty proficiency points into Physical Enhancement.
The value rose from 100 to 150.
A pulse.
A warm surge ignited within his chest, spreading through muscle and tendon, flooding his limbs before fading gradually.
He flexed his fingers.
The increase was noticeable but not explosive.
"At this level, fifty points no longer create drastic leaps…"
He reopened the battle-type tree.
No change.
Armament Haki remained gray. Geppo remained inactive.
Sixty proficiency points remained.
Now the decision grew sharper.
He could invest heavily into his Devil Fruit enhancing distortion range stability and output control.
Or
He could push Physical Enhancement to the next threshold: Top-Tier Physical Enhancement.
That breakthrough would dramatically multiply his base attributes. With such a leap, both Armament Haki and Geppo would likely become available.
Rowan evaluated calmly.
In West Blue, his current strength was already overwhelming. Few could threaten him unless they were veterans from the Grand Line.
Even if he activated Armament Haki immediately, it would not elevate him to the level of former New World monsters like Don Chinjao who had once clashed with Monkey D. Garp himself.
Haki without foundation was decoration.
Foundation without Haki was incomplete but survivable.
Decision made.
Rowan allocated:
10 points to Devil Fruit enhancement.
50 points to Physical Enhancement.
The progress surged past 150
Toward the next boundary.
Then
Top-Tier Physical Enhancement Activated.
Golden light pulsed across the internal interface.
A violent surge of energy erupted from Rowan's core.
This time the transformation was undeniable.
His heart pounded once
Twice
And every muscle fiber seemed to ignite.
Energy flooded his entire body, saturating sinew, bone, even skin. It felt as though every cell were starving absorbing the force greedily, trembling under its pressure.
Time blurred.
Then the energy receded.
But the change remained.
Rowan clenched his fist.
The air shifted subtly around it.
The improvement was enormous not a mere incremental gain. Roughly a sixty to seventy percent increase in overall physical capacity, compounded atop prior multipliers.
Previously, Advanced Physical Enhancement granted a threefold boost over baseline.
Now
Fivefold.
Combined with months of disciplined training, Rowan understood something clearly:
Even without Haki, he could now physically contend with a Vice Admiral-tier combatant in raw strength.
That was a dangerous threshold.
He reopened the battle-type tree.
The interface had transformed.
Where gray once dominated
Green now flourished.
All Rokushiki techniques were available.
Observation Haki Active.Armament Haki Available.Even
Conqueror's Haki.
Rowan's gaze lingered briefly on Haoshoku.
The rarest form.
The mark of kings.
He looked away.
Power that intimidated crowds meant little to him at this stage. Dominating weak wills was not advancement.
Practicality mattered.
Armament Haki tempted him deeply. In this world, the ability to harden one's body and strike Logia users was fundamental to survival in the Grand Line.
But
Mobility was survival.
He selected Geppo.
The activation completed instantly.
Knowledge flooded his mind leg mechanics, air compression timing, muscle release control. The method of kicking off the air itself.
Rowan rose from his chair and stepped lightly upward.
A sharp kick.
His foot struck empty air
And held.
He hovered for a fraction of a second.
A second kick.
He ascended.
A faint smile appeared.
With Geppo mastered, the battlefield expanded vertically. Encirclement by warships would no longer trap him. He could strike from above, bypass fortifications, retreat across open sky.
Armament Haki would come soon.
But mobility ensured survival until then.
Rowan exhaled slowly.
"I haven't yet hunted a pirate above fifty million."
His thoughts turned toward the strongest active pirate crew remaining in West Blue.
The Dual Blades Pirate Crew.
Their captain currently the highest bounty in the sea.
Once the new ship was constructed
Once that crew was eliminated
He would gain additional talent points.
Armament Haki would follow.
And after that
The Grand Line.
Ghost Hand Rowan had nearly exhausted West Blue.
The next sea would not forgive hesitation.
And he would not enter it unprepared.