"The powerful do need laws to survive," and at the same time, they do not. You're both right, allow me to explain.
There are two types of power players: the conqueror, and the dynastic heir. The conqueror becomes powerful by beating the other power players at their own game. These are the powerful who do not need laws to survive, as they can work with any system, either eschewing or exploiting the rules to get ahead. The dynastic heir, on the other hand, is one who has power handed to them, and cannot win a game that isn't rigged in their favour; these are the powerful who do need laws to survive.