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The most powerful pirates in the New World are referred to as the Four Emperors (四皇 Yonkō?). Initially the group consists of Shanks, Whitebeard, Kaido (カイドウ Kaidō?), and Big Mom (ビッグ・マム Biggu Mamu?), forming a precarious balance of power with The Seven Warlords of the Sea and the Navy Headquarters that keeps the world at peace until Blackbeard's capture of Ace results in war between the Whitebeard Pirates and the World Government, and Whitebeard's death.[ch. 432, 483, 576, 581] Two years later, Blackbeard is considered to have assumed Whitebeard's position.