One Piece: The Strongest Creature

As one of the top three intellectuals in the One Piece world, Benn Beckman met his end in a way no one expected.

He died not just from physical defeat but from his own resignation and, most of all, his arrogance.

Yes—arrogance!

It wasn't just Benn Beckman; even Shanks, the mighty Emperor of the Sea, fell victim to this same arrogance.

As Shanks' trusted strategist, Benn Beckman miscalculated. His cautious overestimation of the "Cross Family" proved to be an egregious underestimation.

After the fall of the "Beasts Pirates," the Cross Family, with a decade of accumulated power and experience, made the "Red-Hair Pirates" their prime target.

The complete annihilation of Shanks' crew was inevitable as if written in the stars.

None of them—not even Benn Beckman—could have anticipated that such a force existed. In just a dozen years, the Cross Family's military might and influence had surged to unprecedented heights, growing hundreds—if not thousands—of times stronger.

What was the Cross Family's power like over a decade ago?

According to Benn Beckman's research, the "Cross Family" then comprised only a handful of notable figures: the "World's Strongest Creature" Cross Kahn, the "Pirate Queen" Boa Hancock, and the "Vampiric Beauty" Boa Sandersonia.

They were joined by affiliated forces like Gekko Moria and Donquixote Doflamingo, Shichibukai allies who contributed considerable might to the Cross Family's reach. Altogether, this crew boasted two superpowers, three top commanders, and support from the Orochi Clan of Amazon Lily.

Such a coalition rivalled the power of an Emperor.

Even the Marines would require two full-scale Buster Calls, led by Admirals, to have any hope of facing them. Only with the combined strength of all three Admirals could the Cross Family be taken down with certainty.

No wonder the "Beasts Pirates" under Kaido fell to such a force—it was a power beyond the imagination of even the most hardened Emperors of the Sea. But even then, the Cross Family did not reign supreme.

Back then, the "Red-Hair Pirates" could stand on equal ground with them, with superior elite combat strength.

Yet, in the past decade, the Cross Family's army of cloned and modified soldiers exposed to the world has grown into legions, now numbering close to six figures.

However, even with their extensive power, the Red-Hair Pirates saw no threat in the Cross Family's cloned soldiers.

Benn Beckman knew that the strength of these modified troops peaked at around 80 million berries—a level he dismissed as little more than cannon fodder.

To him, they were the kind of "trash" that could be swept away with a single bullet.

Yet, over the past ten years, Kahn had hidden several powerful allies: Granose, Monet, and Kuina. These individuals carried combat uniforms and relied on stealth, often completing missions undetected.

They utilized Nuqigao's Door-Door Fruit and a perfect Paramecia Teleportation Fruit to evade notice. Even the ever-vigilant CP organization and Morgans, who sent flocks of news birds over the waters of Wano, failed to grasp the full extent of the Cross Family's power.

Thus, neither the Red-Hair Pirates nor the Marines and World Government truly understood the depths of the Cross Family's strength.

In facing such an enigmatic and formidable crew, the wisest strategy would have been to gather intelligence through careful probing and gradually increase the pressure.

Instead, the Red-Hair Pirates, still holding an outdated impression of the Cross Family from a decade ago, charged in full force, following the all-or-nothing approach common among Emperors of the Sea.

To make matters worse, Shanks approached Kahn to negotiate, aiming to rescue Luffy and Yasopp's son. Unfortunately, he chose the wrong approach.

Had Shanks negotiated in the calm, practical style of Monkey D. Dragon, Kahn might have been willing to listen and perhaps only placed steep conditions.

But Shanks, proud and confident, relied on his reputation and "face" to push his point, expecting Kahn to yield to his prestige.

Such an approach might have worked with other Emperors of the Sea, but the Cross Family was an exception.

Thus, the Red-Hair Pirates' bold challenge led only to their annihilation.

In the ensuing one-sided battle, not a single member of Shanks' crew escaped. One by one, Shanks' comrades fell before Benn Beckman, seeing no hope of survival, surrendered and allowed himself to be struck down by the 500-million-volt Thunder of Destruction.

With that, the Red-Hair Pirates, one of the Five Emperors of the Sea, were no more.

"Take their blood, then display their heads in the port of Dressrosa for all to see—our guests deserve an explanation," Kahn commanded.

Before Shanks died, Kahn had read his memories, learning the secrets of his powerful Observation Haki.

Casually tossing Shanks' body to Sonia, he gave her orders and had his men use the Teleportation Fruit to transport him back to Amazon Lily.

With the cleanup left, Robin and the others joined in managing the aftermath, aware that Kahn's research had reached a critical point and refrained from interruptions.

Soon after, as the civilians in Dressrosa, who had been stunned by Shanks' Conqueror's Haki, regained consciousness, broadcasts blared throughout the city, explaining what had transpired.

Awestruck, the people quickly learned why they had fainted, and those with sharp minds were stricken with horror at the broadcast's content.

Was it true that the Cross Family had actually taken down the Red-Hair Pirates and killed Shanks himself?

They anxiously checked their pocket watches, stunned by how little time had passed, and raced to the port. There, they saw the severed heads of the fallen pirates on display.

Representatives from various forces stationed in Dressrosa, along with agents in the Wano sea and weapon buyers, quickly relayed these events through Den Den Mushi, spreading the shocking news far and wide.

By dawn, newsbirds sent from the World Economy News Paper flew across the seas, delivering freshly printed papers to every corner of the world.

Just after the Sworn Brotherhood of the Monkey D., Portgas D., and Marshall D. brothers had sent waves through the seas, yet another tempest began to rise—this time, far more intense than the last.

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