Some say that in 1880, Mareyoshi was trying to establish his own territory for anti-Heike force in the southern sea by working in alliance with the forces such as Kumano who had power over the sea.
また、治承4年頃希義は熊野などの海上勢力と提携して南海に独自の反平家勢力圏を構築する動きを取っていた見る説もある。