What is Kaido’s Biggest Goal/Motive
From Kaido and King’s flashback, Kaido says that he is the only one who can change the world, and later asks King if he still considers Kaido as Joy Boy.
This implies Kaido’s original goal was to become Joy Boy and change the world.
Kaido believes one can become Joy Boy by being the strongest in the world, or at least consider it as one of the prerequisites. This belief is shown when he first beat Luffy and says
“Seems like you couldn’t be joyboy either..”
Despite Kaido’s restless effort to fight worthy opponents, he is still not Joy Boy up to now. Neither did his opponents became Joy Boy, but they all achieved something by the time they died. Roger became pirate king and started the golden age of pirates. Whitebeard rekindled the pirates’ dream. Oden left hopes of opening Wano to his followers.
Kaido envies them, their dreams, and their honorable death. Kaido became a victor by beating Oden, but an inglorious victor. This haunts Kaido for the next 20 years. Being unable to fulfill his dream nor kill himself, Kaido became an alchoholic and his dream faded.
Psychology of Kaido after beating Luffy
Then Kaido meets Luffy. Finally a worthy opponent after all those years since Oden. But just like Oden, some disruptor messed up their mighty battle. Kaido once again, became an inglorious victor.
20 years of PTSD hits Kaido at once. The terrified face “world’s strongest creature” makes after smashing Luffy is unprecedented since his first appearance. After a while, he seems to have recovered his composure as he descends to the main floor, but HE IS NOT! Oda really did an incredible job portraying Kaido’s mental state this chapter. He is actually dying in the inside. How do we know that?
In the Chapter 1042, Kaido said things like
“Winners need no rationalization/justification”
“Those content to die for the sake of honor are just losers”.
Now that doesn’t seem very convincing does it? Kaido is the one who wants honorable death the most!
And in the latest chapter, he suddenly starts spitting out the most cruel and tyrannical words he have ever said. That he will enslave and kill everyone, because that is “what it means to lose in war”.
Those words, to me, are an indicator of Kaido’s psychological defense mechanism kicking in. In Kaido’s subconsciousness, he’s screaming : “Winning isn’t everything and can sometimes be disgraceful”, “Those who die for the sake of honor is admirable”, “I want to change the world as Joy Boy”. But his current self being the direct opposite, Kaido can’t help but defend himself by denying his own dreams.
