i think they are stronger than admirals in their prime.Look at their faces they look like weaklings?????one of them is seen with a katana and all others have cuts and injuries on the faces.I think the person with the sword is the previous WSS and he passed the title to mihawk
And what would be the point for them to be locked up in a dusty room for over 30 years making political decisions ?
How do you envision this battle, so the SH's battled all these young and upcoming enemy's first, slayed some Schihi's and a yonkou or two and then for the grand finale they face-off against 5 people with atherosclerosis and arthritis ?
It wouldn't feel right if the final guys in one piece before Luffy becomes pirate king are senior citizens.
Also if these are the final enemies, what is the role of the guy with the sword. If it's the end Zoro would already faced and beaten Mihawk meaning he is the WSS now, what would make this fight still entertaining ? Unless the final guys are stronger, but that would mean that Mihawk isn't the WSS in the first place.
Whitebeard, Zypher, Garp and Sengoku are prime examples that old people can be badass, but Oda gave the same message four times, You can't defeat time. Whitebeard knew it before the war, Garp and Sengoku after.
Why would these guys be an exception, why would they even despite their age still be stronger then admirals, or yonkou as some say in this thread ?