Hiko's ultimate goal in planning the entire battle was not simply to defeat Blackbeard, but to wipe out this force completely. If Blackbeard's forces were not eradicated, they would surely rise again someday. Even if they could no longer pose a threat, the existence of such a hate-filled force would still be deeply unpleasant to him.
Thus, from the very beginning of the war, Hiko had made a series of tactical arrangements. On the surface, he had been steadily weakening Blackbeard's strength, but in truth, every step had pressed them harder, striking from the flanks. His real purpose had been to wear down the already unstable morale within the Blackbeard Pirates.
The Blackbeard Pirates had risen too quickly, and there were simply too many unstable elements within them. Loyalty was their first fatal weakness. They were a major force stitched together from countless pirate crews, one that had expanded at a breakneck pace in a short period of time. For now, it was difficult for them to truly unite as one perfectly coordinated force.
So Hiko first wore down their morale and shook their will to fight.
Then, the three-pronged encirclement forced the entire Blackbeard Pirates into a situation where they could not aid one another. With every pirate crew too busy looking after itself, their lack of trust exposed the flaw of caring only for themselves in wartime, further reducing the Blackbeard Pirates to scattered sand.
Blackbeard had failed to notice the hidden dangers within his own pirate crew. After being thrown into such turmoil, he appeared to have lost control of the situation. At that moment, Blackbeard committed a grave taboo. Born a pirate, he believed strength reigned supreme. He wanted to use absolute intimidation to cow his subordinates and forcibly rally their morale. Even when the battle