Although Burgess and Shiryu had both defected to Ronglin after their defeats, Blackbeard did not take it to heart. At first, he and Ronglin had not harbored any deep-seated hatred toward each other. He had merely kept coveting the Devil Fruits in Ronglin's possession, which was why he had repeatedly sent people to harass him.
Blackbeard understood the principle that the victor became king and the loser became a bandit, and he was able to let things go. Since he had taken the initiative to provoke the other side but could not defeat them, there was nothing to resent. Thus, for a long time afterward, Blackbeard kept a low profile and continued his strategy of lying low and building strength, all to avoid deepening his enmity with the Star Alliance.
When he had fiercely battled the Whitebeard Remnants and utterly crushed them, Blackbeard's prestige had been unrivaled. At that time, he had been the most glorious figure in the New World. Yet when faced with setbacks, Blackbeard could resolutely put aside his pride, step back from the whirlpool, and refrain from contending with other forces. These actions fully displayed his true nature as a formidable schemer.
Now the New World was in chaos. In particular, the Ten Thousand Nations Alliance Summit organized by the Star Alliance had become the enemy of the entire world in the blink of an eye. No matter how formidable Ronglin was, he would probably find it difficult to handle pressure from all sides, wouldn't he?
Blackbeard quickly considered the matter. What benefits could I gain if I kicked them while they were down? Probably none. He would merely be helping Kaido and Charlotte Linlin eliminate a powerful enemy.
But if he joined forces with the Star Alliance and secretly struck Kaido, then as long as