User blog comment:Blackendedsoul/Yonkou and the Admirals/@comment-3181121-20110724181523

If the admirals were as strong or stronger than the yonkou then there would be no need to keep the shichibukai. The 3 great powers are supposed to be balanced but since the shichibukai are "aligned" to the wg, you should count them on the side of the marines. That's why losing a shichibukai is bad for the marines as it shifts the balance towards the yonko, losing a yonko as well as several shichibukai however was a huge shift towards the marines.