With BB the whole dynamic flips. His struggles are what's shaping him into something larger than life. He feels more and more like an anti-Imu. Imu is stagnation, 800 years glued to a throne, afraid of being challenged. BB is all momentum. Always growing, always "absorbing," always pushing forward. Imu clings. BB hunts.
Oda is setting Luffy vs IMU vs BB thematically.
Like OG Admirals had different notions of justice, Luffy, IMU and BB have different ideas of freedom.
Luffy - seeks liberation of himself and for others. It's like live and let live
Blackbeard believes in freedom like Luffy but his freedom is uncontrolled chaos like Might is right.
IMU's idea of freedom is limited. It goes through order and total control.
While IMU is tyranny, BB is anarchy. Two extremes.
I believe this is what World went through - from Ancient Kingdom rule under Davy to WG.
Luffy's freedom sits in between the two extremes.
Another thing is, IMU cares about Joyboy and Davy.
Oda through flashback gave us Xebec and Roger era around the same time.
And, now Luffy and Teach are growing in parallel to each other.
BB vs Luffy vs IMU is guaranteed.



. If it wasn't already obvious already Oda prioritizes the story he wants to tell first and foremost over rigid powerscaling rules. He wanted to give Hajrudin a moment to shine to get a bit of revenge for Harald as well as develop his relationship with Loki and that's what we got. We will get back to ass cheeks getting clapped again next chapter 


