User blog comment:Blackendedsoul/Strange Behavior/@comment-10543621-20140516015217

I see this more as a situation based thing rather than just 'ability to defeat'. For the blackbeard running away from Akainu, first of all, how can we be sure Sakazuki is alone? He was mentioned obviously because he's the important one, but he may have brought along 10 other vice admirals for all we know. BB is not about to risk that. BB is a smart man. He's not stupid and reckless. He actually thinks his battles through and judges the situations properly. He contacted the marines solely to trade for a battleship. He certainly wasn't planning on fighting someone like Sakazuki at that time He knew that it would be pointless for him to risk facing Sakazuki EVEN if with his entire crew, he might be able to beat the marines. Additionally, I seem to recall that event to have been taking place on a fiery island. Maybe that further places Sakazuki at an advantage? *Shrugs* I see this as similar to when he decides to back-off when Shanks showed up, even though he previously had just challenged the WG and WB. He was confident in doing that previously because both sides had been significantly worn out, and he had the element of surprise with him. The moment Shanks showed up, the odds changed and he was no longer sure of it, and thus decided that it wasn't worth the effort.

Magellan I think was more an issue with emotions than anything. At that point, his pride and reputation was on the line. The biggest breakout ever in Impel down history was taking place. He had no place in his mind to second guess himself even if his opponents were ferocious. Magellan had already started to go all out, completely releasing the full destruction of his powers; something he normally would never be able to do simply due to the collateral damage. At the same time, the escapees despite how they should logically be stronger if you base just on a combination of strengths and etc alone, understood that a desperate man can be loads more dangerous than they usually are. Again, their objectives are different. The escapees wanna escape, and they're not that interested in fighting. Moreover, they had a deadline to meet, being the war and had no interest in being delayed there. Magellan on the other hand is a desperate man willing to do anything to stop them from escaping. He also knew that all he needed to do was delay them long enough for the ships around Impel down to leave far enough, and the escapees would naturally be trapped. His all-out 'reckless' attack against all the powerful individuals are really not that inconceivable.

Finally for PIca, I don't think he meant that he would be able to defeat everyone on the island including an admiral. I think all he meant was that with the scope of his power and due to the nature of his power being extremely advantaged and suitable in such a situation, should he be allowed to go all out, he alone should be able to quell the situation. His mindset is stemming from a superiority complex point of view. Many characters tend to have such a mindset due to past experience such as; 'I have never been defeated before', 'no one has ever escaped from me before', 'no one has ever survived after I've performed this' etc. In Pica's point of view, he probably feels that with the full extend of his powers, it doesn't matter how powerful his opponents are, based on their current situation, he should still be able to handle it. It does not stem from the thought that he's stronger than all his opponents, but more of the fact that due to the situation, he doesn't matterr how strong they are.