Unfortunately not—unless you can use a next page section break of course.

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Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

Microsoft 365 apps for business
Windows 11 Professional

When I use Next Page, the section starts on the Odd page and Word inserts a blank page before it. I would simply like the section to start on the next page (which in this case would be an even page) and allow the number to start at 1.

If you use a Next Page section break and then, in the preceeding section (which is ending on an even page) you insert a manual page break, you will have a page numbered 1 on a page that is physically, an even page (on the left if printed duplex).

However, this has nothing to do with linking or not linking the header. It has to do with starting page numbering in the section at 1. This is done in the format page numbers dialog. You may or may not want to unlink the page header. This is not needed to change the numbering or to change from Roman numerals to Arabic.

Of course, if Section 1 expands so that it ends on an odd-numbered page naturally, you will need to remove the manual page break.