User blog comment:LegerPrime/Sting v Larcade/@comment-29693708-20161105183553/@comment-7418318-20161105232422

I wouldn't be surprised if Blue Note would really be close to Erza (until the inevitable Flamepants+Nakaspeech combo takes him down anyway) and stronger than most other FT members.

Before the timeskip Blue Note was definitely supposed to be stronger than any FT member save for Makarov, Gildarts and maybe Laxus... though I doubt that last one.

That Natsu could rofl-stomp him is no indication of him being weak, not with all the power-ups he had at that moment.