Kaido was somehow stopped from going to Marineford by Shanks but how did a Mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruit who can fly get taken down?

SUMMARY

One Piece has a lot of unexplained plot holes and Shanks stopping Kaido from going to Marineford is one of them.
Kaido has a broken Mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruit that grants him the power to fly so he could’ve flown to Marineford.
Despite being powerful, it’s his limitations that possibly stopped him from flying there.

Kaido was one of the most fearsome and formidable villains in One Piece. The Wano Arc was intense enough to make Luffy fully awaken his Devil Fruit into its true nature, the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika. Kaido’s own Devil Fruit is a unique Mythical Zoan-type, the Uo Uo no Mi, Model: Seiryu, which turns him into an azure dragon.

With the ability to fly through his Devil Fruit, it’s almost a miracle Kaido was unable to arrive at Marineford by himself before Shanks and his crew intervened. He’s not particularly loyal to his crew, the Beast Pirates, and would’ve prioritized his need to join the war.

Kaido, a former Emperor, from One Piece. [Credit: Toei Animation]

The reason why Kaido was even going to Marineford in the first place is a mystery. He didn’t have any special ties to Ace but could’ve been looking to fight Whitebeard for the last time or make more trouble for the Marines. He’s definitely not going to be on their side to help execute Ace but perhaps escalate the war and create more bloodshed.

Kaido could’ve made it to Marineford if he left his crew behind

Shanks and Kaido were enemies long before the events of One Piece, being on opposing crews as Emperors, Kaido being a former Rocks Pirate, and Shanks’ allegiance towards Roger. His intervention in the Beast Pirates’ arrival in Marineford was possibly not the only fight they’ve had. However, Shanks does have a glaring disadvantage of being a non-Devil Fruit user with his entire crew in the same situation.

The azure dragon would’ve been more than powerful enough to take down the Red-Haired Pirates or even abandon his crew by flying to Marineford if he needed to witness the execution so badly. It doesn’t make sense, to this day, how Shanks stopped the man so easily.

Kaido’s Devil Fruit abilities grant him flight as seen in the Wano Arc by creating Flame Clouds. He uses it plenty to his advantage in his fight with Luffy and makes him a nuisance to defeat. So some fans did argue, why couldn’t Kaido just fly to Marineford?

All Devil Fruits have their limitations and so does one as powerful as Kaido’s Seiryu model. The Flame Clouds he generates in order to fly will be extinguished if he exerts too much physically. The distance to Marineford must’ve been too much even for Kaido.

Even Kaido isn’t immune to Devil Fruit’s weaknesses

Kaido, drunk and crying, in One Piece. [Credit: Toei Animation]

Kaido might be an Emperor and a former Rocks Pirate but even he has his own issues and limitations. The Emperor is incredibly depressed and often listless, looking to end his life after not being able to die at anyone else’s hand. Moreover, a Mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruit doesn’t mean he’s invincible. After all, he was defeated by a rubber man.The same goes for Shanks, the non-Devil Fruit user. He might just have one arm but his Conqueror’s Haki is impeccable. He was also trained under Gol D. Roger who had already disbanded Kaido’s former crew. It’s not impossible that Shanks stopped the Beast Pirates from going to Marineford. One Piece is a curious world full of mysteries.