Benn Beckman is considered to be as strong as Shanks in One Piece and the reason behind this is his secret ability that no one knows about.

SUMMARY

Out of all the first mates in One Piece, Benn Beckman is the only one who is almost as strong as his captain.
He is a mysterious character and not much is revealed about him.
However, he might have a hidden ability that makes him capable to take down Gear 5 Luffy.

The Red-Haired Pirates have finally started making a move in One Piece after being hidden for the longest time. Their captain, Red-Haired Shanks, has finally decided to claim the One Piece treasure, and this marks his official entry into the race to become the Pirate King. However, he is not alone in this race, as his first mate, Benn Beckman, is with him till the end.

Shanks With Benn Beckman | Credit: Toei Animation

Benn Beckman is probably the only character who is more mysterious than Shanks, as fans know next to nothing about him. From his backstory to his abilities, everything about him has been kept hidden by Eiichiro Oda, except the fact that he is almost as strong as his captain. This was seen when he scared Kizaru using a gun and his aura.

While his abilities are a mystery, a deeper analysis of his character points out that his powers might be next level. In fact, they might be enough to take down Gear 5 Luffy, which is, as of now, one of the strongest abilities in the entire One Piece narrative.

Benn Beckman’s mysterious persona in One Piece

Although Benn Beckman is a laid-back and carefree character, he is also quite intelligent and level-headed. Shanks trusts him with his life, and it is possible that he knows almost everything about Shanks’ goals and ambitions. This proves Shanks’ trust in his first mate and also helps in understanding Benn Beckman’s loyalty towards his captain and his crew.

Apart from all this, Benn Beckman has not really contributed much to the One Piece storyline. He has been witnessing the actions of his captain from the background but still offers his support whenever he requires it the most. This was seen during the movie, One Piece Film: Red, when Shanks decided to go against the entire Navy for his daughter Uta, and Benn was right there with him.

In terms of power and abilities, the only confirmed ability he is known to have is Armament Haki. Apart from that, he wields a flintlock rifle that might be one of his most important power sources, as he has used it against powerful One Piece characters like Admiral Kizaru.

Benn Beckman might have a hidden broken ability

The fact that Benn Beckman uses a rifle as his main weapon points out that he probably coats his bullets with Armament Haki. This makes sense, as he is not stupid enough to raise a gun against someone as strong as Kizaru. However, there is a possibility that his bullets may contain more than that.

Benn Beckman – One Piece | Credit: Toei Animation

According to a One Piece theory posted by u/Shanks_PK_Level on Reddit, there is a possibility that Benn Beckman stores Advance Conqueror’s Haki in the bullets just like Joy Boy stored his Conqueror’s Haki in Emet. However, the only problem is that Benn Beckman does not have Conqueror’s Haki. The theory states that Shanks might be the one who shares his Conqueror’s Haki with Benn Beckman.

While there are some plot holes, if the theory holds any credence, it will essentially explain the power balance between the Red-Haired Pirates. Also, it will help explain how Benn Beckman is almost as strong as Shanks in One Piece and has the power to take down Gear 5 Luffy.