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Kahn didn't know how the world would react.
But even if he did, he wouldn't care.
To Kahn, the destruction of the *Red-Hair Pirates* was a trivial matter. It didn't hold nearly as much importance as the downfall of the *Beasts Pirates* more than a decade ago. The *Red-Hair Pirates*, apart from Shanks' knowledge and bloodline factors, held no real value for him.
In contrast, the *Beasts Pirates* were a different story. Bell's racial talent and Kaido's bloodline factors had been extraordinarily valuable assets.
Thus, after his crew annihilated the *Red-Hair Pirates*, Kahn ordered Hancock and the other women to decapitate them and display their heads at the port of Dressrosa for all to see. Having accomplished this, Kahn returned to the underground base on Amazon Lily to continue his scientific research.
Time flew by.
And before anyone realized it, a massive storm was brewing across the world.
The Sea Circle Calendar had flipped to 1522.
Yes, the new year had brought the world to 1523 on the Sea Circle Calendar.
It may seem like just a date change, but it marked a major shift in history—a true "butterfly effect." Why? The period from May of 1520 to the end of 1522 was pivotal, two and a half years.
At that time, *Joy Boy*, reborn after 800 years, had set sail with a mission to change the world.
During those two and a half years, Joy Boy, once merely the top dog of the East Blue but a small fish in the vast Grand Line, had rapidly ascended to one of the world's most formidable forces. The support of powerful allies had set the stage for a chaotic era, one that would ignite a revolutionary war spanning the globe.
It was a time poised to mirror the achievements of the liberation fighters of ancient history.
This is what should have happened—if Kahn hadn't crossed over.
But now, in what was meant to be a legendary year, the world-shaking "Great 500 Wars" didn't happen. Kahn's presence had stopped it from ever beginning.
Because… the "Son of Destiny" was lying in pieces in a cultivation chamber, soaked in green nutrient solution, his body cut into countless sections, but still very much alive.
With no food to eat and no water to drink, he remained unable to die of hunger or thirst.
Every day, he awoke to the sight of endless green before his eyes, unable to speak, trapped in silence.
Occasionally, a man in a white coat would draw blood from him.
Such was the life of Luffy—and the fate shared by his sworn brothers.
After ordering Monet to seize their hearts, Kahn didn't kill them outright. He was curious. He wanted to see if, with the "Son of Destiny" blocked by a traveller, Dragon—Luffy's father—might inherit the destiny meant for his son.
Would Monkey D. Dragon be lucky enough to find the Fourth Road Poneglyph?
Of course, Kahn wasn't particularly concerned either way.
Photos of the heads of the *Red-Hair Pirates* displayed in the port have spread across the world, leaving a wake of shock. Those who believed the *Cross Family* was merely a group enriched by money, lacking real strength over the past decade, were now wide awake.
A huge question mark loomed over the *Cross Family* in the hearts of onlookers.
Using the downfall of the *Red-Hair Pirates* as an example, Kahn knew that even with a hundred times the courage, Monkey D. Dragon wouldn't dare storm Amazon Lily to save his captured allies or bring his forces against the *Cross Family*.
For Dragon, the only possible rescue would lie in finding the fourth Road Poneglyph.
Because of this, Kahn held little concern over whether or not Dragon actually succeeded in finding it.
If Dragon did find it, Kahn would return the three sworn brothers, now no longer valuable to him, allowing the "Man of Destiny" to once again take the World Government's wrath upon himself. But if Dragon failed, Kahn would continue to draw from the three brothers as they languished in his grasp.
Back to the main point…
In the latter half of 1522, Kahn's own power and the influence of the *Cross Family* had increased considerably.
First, there was Kahn himself. Reaching the world's pinnacle in mind, skill, and body, Kahn stood at the top, a "ceiling-level" player in the world.
Given his level of strength, breaking past human and Devil Fruit limits was now the only way to improve further—even a tiny step beyond his current strength would be an immense feat.
To attain this, Kahn needed a truly rare power, and it was one Shanks had possessed: the ability to block *Future Sight*, the advanced Observation Haki capable of predicting an opponent's moves.
Through Shanks' memories, Kahn managed to grasp this ability within the second half of the year.
Now, Kahn's Observation Haki was flawless.
Much like Roger's, Kahn's Haki now surpassed that of other world-class players. In addition to his advanced use of Conqueror's Haki and mastery over *Future Sight*, Kahn also possessed the rarest of Observation Haki talents—the one-in-a-billion natural gift of instinctive Observation.
In short, Kahn was more unstoppable than ever.
Moreover, the *Cross Family*'s power had grown thanks to the bloodline factors harvested from the *Red-Hair Pirates*. This was the most valuable gain from their annihilation of Shanks' crew.
As for the territory once held by the *Red-Hair Pirates*, the *Cross Family* showed no interest—it was far too poor for their liking.
Nonetheless, with the *Cross Family's* sudden display of power and their nearly mythical strength, many forces dared not challenge them for the territory.
Only when they realized that the *Cross Family* had no intention of claiming the *Red-Hair Pirates'* lands did factions throughout the New World scramble madly for the five newly vacated pieces of prime territory.
After acquiring the bloodline factors from the *Red-Hair Pirates*, wealth became a mere number to the *Cross Family*. Now, with resources beyond count, they rapidly produced a Seraphim version of the *Red-Hair Pirates*.
Yes, a Seraphim modelled after Shanks and his crew.
In just half a year, Kahn had fully assimilated Vegapunk's knowledge, mastering man-made Devil Fruit technology, bloodline factor replication, and Seraphim creation.
Unlike Kahn's perfect creations—impeccable yet lacking independent consciousness—the Seraphim were more anthropomorphic, albeit with limitations. While Seraphim lacked the strength of Kahn's perfected works, their cost-effectiveness and enhanced Haki abilities made them formidable. The Seraph Shanks could wield the power of a Great Swordsman and use Haki at a level just shy of the original Shanks—a world-class force in its own right.
In the field of artificial life, Kahn was confident he'd reached the ultimate level of achievement, with little room for further advancement.
So, he decided it was time to eliminate Vegapunk.
But before executing his plan, Kahn sent Hancock, along with a perfected work imbued with the Paramecia *Teleport-Teleport Fruit* and Mary, who wielded the Paramecia *Castle-Castle Fruit*, to infiltrate Totto Land.
There, they captured Charlotte Pudding, a wielder of the *Memo-Memo Fruit*, taking her life and seizing her Devil Fruit.
Kahn then entrusted the *Memo-Memo Fruit* to a Kuja warrior and ordered her to extract Vegapunk's memories. Once completed, Kahn killed Vegapunk, claiming his Paramecia *Brain-Brain Fruit*.
With this, Kahn created a new perfected work, no longer named by numbers but, like the Seraphim, personally named Perfect Work Vegapunk.
This new creation devoured the *Brain-Brain Fruit*, and with all of Vegapunk's memories implanted in its mind, it became a humanoid, self-propelled scientist and living computer.
With his first scientist-type perfected work born, Kahn began joint research with it to unlock the mysteries of the Paramecia *Op-Op Fruit* and the Zoan *Human-Human Fruit, Model: Nika.*
These achievements marked Kahn's progress over the last six months.
When the new year dawned, whether due to shifting fate or other unknown forces, Kahn's long-dormant luck surged. After a series of failed attempts, Kahn and the perfected Vegapunk finally unlocked the secrets of two ultimate Devil Fruits: the *Gomu Gomu no Mi* and the *Op-Op Fruit*.
At last, Kahn's team successfully produced artificial versions: the Artificial Paramecia *Op-Op Fruit* and the Artificial Zoan *Human-Human Fruit, Model: Nika.*
As he looked upon these two unique fruits, Kahn felt an unusual surge of accomplishment.
With success in man-made Devil Fruits achieved, he was ready to begin his "Immortality Project." If successful, his perfected works would break through their current limits, ascending to a "super-strong series" akin to a living Ancient Weapon.
Kahn then set about creating a new perfected work intended to consume the artificial *Op-Op Fruit*. He also tasked the Kuja warrior with extracting Monet's memories, intending to replicate her knowledge of medicine and implant it into the newly perfected work.
Indeed, Monet was already skilled enough to perform the *Op-Op Fruit's* Ultimate Surgery, yet Kahn would never demand such a sacrifice for his own immortality.
If the project failed and immortality proved unattainable, Kahn could still live for several centuries—plenty of time to grow weary of the world.
However, if the *Immortality Project* succeeded, Kahn certainly wouldn't object to an endless life.
Meanwhile, Kahn used Monet's bloodline factors to create a Seraphim version of her. If the perfected work failed to carry out the *Ageless Surgery*, this Seraphim Monet, with her anthropomorphic form and enhanced brain capabilities, could attempt it.
Should both methods fail, Kahn would simply continue his research until he achieved success.
After all, with his perfected Vegapunk and Axie, the scientist who once crafted pure gold, Kahn refused to believe they couldn't conquer the "Ageless Surgery."
And so, Kahn began another period of seclusion.
Hancock and the others, fully aware of Kahn's reasons, bore no resentment toward his time in the underground base. Instead, they felt pride, happiness, and a deep gratitude for his care.
Even as his maid, she felt that being so cherished by her Master made her life truly worth living.