In the One Piece anime, the Marineford arc is one of my favorite arcs. The arc was so good it gave me goosebumps in almost every episode. First, Whitebeard’s arrival, Luffy’s arrival, Marco’s power, Luffy’s Conqueror’s Haki, Crocodile saving Ace, etc. But I always wondered what if Shanks couldn’t stop Kaido from arriving at Marineford? What would happen if Kaido arrived at Marineford?
Kaido’s Motivation
Before thinking about what would happen, we first have to figure out why he was trying to go to Marineford. Many of us think that it was because he was trying to help the Marines kill Whitebeard when he was in his weakened state. Before watching Kaido’s fight with Luffy, I would almost believe that. We know that Kaido is kind of heartless, goofy, and always drinks too much. In reality, he still has some sense of honor in him. In his fight with Luffy, we saw that he was depressed when CP0 interfered with their fight and backstabbed Luffy. He wanted a one-on-one and fair fight with Luffy. He even apologized to Luffy because of the interference of CP0. He also cried for Big Mom after her death. He saw her as a big sister. When Whitebeard, Big Mom, Kaido, and Shiki were in the Rocks Pirates, they were crewmates. I know that they didn’t have a very good relationship, but still, they had some respect for each other. I don’t think that Kaido would try to kill Whitebeard in his weakened state. If he had any desire to kill Whitebeard, he would have attacked Whitebeard a long time ago.
Kaido’s Goal: Saving Ace
Then what would be the reason for him to go to Marineford? I think it was to save Joy Boy from the Marines. But there must be another question: Kaido didn’t know Luffy at that time, so who would he imagine as Joy Boy? It is not Whitebeard, of course, then who would it be? In my theory, it must be Ace. Maybe he heard about Ace from Yamato or he might have suspected that Ace is Gol D. Roger’s son. We all know that Kaido always thought that he is Joy Boy who will change the world. But later on, he gave up on his dream and became an alcoholic waiting for his death. He tried to kill himself many times, as we saw. After hearing from Yamato or knowing that Ace is the son of Gol D. Roger, he thought of him as Joy Boy. So instead of killing Whitebeard and helping the Marines, he would have tried to save Ace so that Ace could become Joy Boy, something Kaido couldn’t be. If Kaido had successfully arrived at Marineford, the result of the Marineford arc would be quite different.
The Battle
He would bring his three commanders with him as well, and that would be a big disadvantage for the Marines because the three commanders are quite powerful and can hold their ground against an admiral. Kaido would try to free Ace, and Garp and Sengoku would be there to stop him. Even though he is the King of the Beasts, he would still have some trouble dealing with both of them at once because, after all, they rivaled Gol D. Roger and Whitebeard. After some time fighting alone, Whitebeard would join the fight to help Kaido rescue Ace. Although Whitebeard had a grudge against Kaido because he killed Oden, he would still help Kaido to save Ace. In the end, Whitebeard and Kaido would be able to save Ace without losing any important characters, and we most probably wouldn’t see the grand entry of Shanks. Most likely, Blackbeard would not come either because the risk would be too high.
Impact on Luffy
The main impact would be on Luffy’s character development. He would not be as strong as he is now because Ace didn’t die that day. Ace’s death was a pivotal moment that fueled Luffy’s determination and growth, pushing him to train under Rayleigh and become significantly stronger. Without this tragic catalyst, Luffy might not have had the same intense drive to become stronger quickly. While he would still aspire to be Pirate King and seek One Piece, the urgency and depth of his motivation might be lessened. His Haki development, strategic thinking, and combat skills could progress more slowly, potentially altering his journey through the New World.
Impact On the Reputation of World Government
Additionally, the political landscape of the One Piece world would change dramatically. The Marines would suffer a significant blow to their morale and power, having faced the combined might of two Yonko and failed to execute Ace. The reputation of the World Government would be tarnished, emboldening pirates and revolutionaries. Kaido and Whitebeard forming a temporary alliance, even if just for this battle, would signal to the world that the balance of power could be challenged in unexpected ways.
