WB > other Yonkous indivodually was explicitly stated.
He was literally the WSM.
I meant someone like BM, "a BM" of that time, not BM herself.
If Xebec had beaten a character like BM back in the day, no one would have said that Yonkou were hypetools. Xebec Is someone at Roger/WB's level so no one had any doubts he could beat a top tier.
The difference Is Admirals were always there, while Oda cannot say that Xebec has beaten a random Emperor since the rank didn't even exist back then.
I really don't see a problem if a super top tier beats an Admiral tbh. WGHQ even highlighted how this was the reason for Xebec to have a super reputation.
No it was not, unless you want to cling to MF where WB himself said he cant be strongest forever. Kaido was strongest individually, he was literally the WSC.
Yeah someone like BM, we have no clue about who were pirates back then and if there were pirates or not. From what has been shown the Emperors have existed as part of the world system. Unless you are suggesting that WG had control of the whole world and then pirates managed to take away the control from them in the New World. We are entering headcanon territory since anything is possible. Ryuma was alive centuries ago and even in his time there were pirates. Joyboy was the first pirate so the pirate legacy stretches to at least back then.
A BM of that time? Yeah for that Oda would have to create another unique monster just for them to be defeated by Rocks.
Xebec is at that level because he was portrayed as such, he was portrayed as Rogers greatest rival with the WSS (or to be) under and a to be WSC under him. Xebec is at that level because he was ranked by Kaido along with Roger/WB/Shanks.
The difference is that Oda has constantly used the Yonkos or monsters like these to show them as top tiers at the expense of Admirals. Oda could have simply stated (which may still happen) that Xebec managed to escape after barely defeating/killing an Admiral and the word hypetool would not be used. Bring me one example of an Admiral looking better against a Yonko at the end of a conflict/confrontation. No whataboutism.
As of now as depicted in the manga it is here is guy named Rocks equal to/same tier/same category as Roger/WB/Shanks/Oden and he killed an Admiral in his younger days before he founded the Rocks pirate group.