Rumors mAy be unreliable buy you forget titles are based of Reputations and Rumors,Both Wb and Mihawk never defeated their closest rivals nor did they beat everyone under their respective titles yet are believed to be strongest based off same titles.
You again are proposing that the world thinks Kaido is the strongest because he defeated Oden which is just your very own assumption,so I'm free to against that.
Neither Akainu nor Sengoku knew much about Oden (calling him just Wb 2nd division commander) so I don't see how Kaido could have gotten the rumored title by seemingly beating a guy the world doesn't know that much.
In my eyes the guy with World strongest hype from multiple sources is superior to those with nothing of the sort,whether it ends up being being true or not,we'll see.
Neither are confirmed Akainu's equals right now,he beat Aokiji 1 year ago and spared his life back then(which already indicated they weren't equals) and now is at the head of the marines with all his limbs where Aokiji lost a leg and replaced with an ice one,something that can destroyed in a fight.
I don't mind ending being wrong but I think there is 0% chance either Aokiji or Kizaru end up being stronger than Kaido.
Let me ask you this,how did Mihawk and Wb end up with the World strongest titles in their respective categories? Did they beat everyone ? Who crowns an individual the strongest ? How come Wb was no more the strongest at Marineford? Short answer ;it is based on either rumors or World Government propaganda. Also we have seen 2 cases of official titles be false before.
1)Gorosei being highest political authority in the world
2)Fake strawhat Luffy being introduced to us as the real Luffy in Sabaody.
Kaido is believed to be the strongest by people,that's already more going for him than for either Aokiji, Kizaru or even Akainu who still has nothing on World strongest hype atm.
You don't believe it,you are free to but I don't see why you would be making a case for other people who have not even being brought up one single time by anyone for World strongest man,nor have they been directly put above the "supposed" current World strongest.
Sure it is bullshit title that only babies believe in because you don't like him,don't pretend like you wouldn't have liked Akainu to get such 1vs1 hype. Zoro said supposed World strongest,that is not mocking but just chanelling through his mouth what he heard other people say.
Zoro is also a proud ccharacter,he would do the same for Akainu or any other Admiral,that's just the way he is.
You said Oda never bothered to outright say Kaido is the strongest, I then asked you how will Akainu and the 4 others end up being stronger confirmed? Oda never bothered to state they are above Kaido either,feats are subjected to interpretation so we will end up never knowing unless Luffy or Zoro says something.
Atleast Kaido has hearsay supporting him being above the others,the others got nothing to support what you believe in.
What is perceived by people has been constantly hinted to be true this arc though.
We got a chapter called Island of the strongest,that's all I need to know.
Its also funny you talk about the difference between perception and reality then mention Akainu,Aokiji, Kizaru being stronger despite nothing hinting at that in the manga lee- kun.
Wait until they Atleast do something that directly places them above Kaido.