You know how the Kanji used to describe Mihawk's swordsmanship as greater than Shanks's, is the same as the description for Xebec's swordsmanship using his haki, or Divine Departure as a sword technique?
If you don't know this you shouldn't even read onward, this is basic knowledge you should have.
1.Essentially what it means is Mihawk has stronger sword techniques/skills than Shanks.
But Haki is also a part of it clearly, as the canonical material is using the same kanji to describe sword techniques that use the own users varying level of Haki strength.
Once you establish this fact every Shanks-tard argument crumbles, because we know they are going to say that Mihawk's title is about sword-skill.
But then you have to explain to them (if they have the capacity) that because sword techniques using Haki is included in the language it means:
Despite Shanks Joyboy-level-haki, being imbued in his sword techniques, like Divine Departure, Mihawk's swordsmanship is still stated as stronger, as in the affect of his sword techniques is greater than the affect of Shanks using a sword technique with his mighty Haki.
But they will say "yeah, because of skill" Then you get to to establish what that means, they might say he can swing his sword at a certain degree more accurately, or that he's better at using armament
Here is the Left-Hook-Counter to their right hand, if you will. Because in saying it's due to skill, you are actually saying that:
Mihawk's skill in swordsmanship is SUCH A FACTOR, that it OUTWEIGHS the FACTOR of Shanks's OWN HAKI being used in his sword techniques
In other words: Shanks's Generational Talent (As Oda has described in learning Kamusari) + His Joyboy-Level Haki, leads to a Total Swordsmanship Value of = 90
Whereas Mihawk's Yoru + His Swordsmanship leads to a Total Swordsmanship Value of = 100
You are essentially having to DE-VALUE Shanks's Haki, because you are saying DESPITE SHANKS'S HAKI, he is still unable to overcome the GAP in skill between him and Mihawk, in order for his Swordsmanship to be STRONGER OVERALL. And be stated a such.
- But hold on? Isn't SHANKS'S HAKI, the ENTIRE REASON for why Shanks should be able to defeat Mihawk in a 1v1?:
If Shanks's superior CoC Haki is not able lead to him having superior/stronger/greater Sword Attacks, then why should it all of a sudden lead to him being able to defeat Mihawk?
Moreover, if it is unable to allow Shanks to surmount the difference in swordsmanship between Mihawk and himself, Because Shanks fans are just so comfortable in accepting Mihawk's swordsmanship is superior:
Then how, with a finite amount of haki-mass, is Shanks going to be able to overcome Mihawk's superior swordsmanship in a 1v1 fight? because no matter how strong Shanks's Haki is, his swordsmanship will still be inferior within the fight, till it's completion
- Therefore the question remains: What is shanks going to do, in order to Bypass Mihawk's superior swordsmanship, and deal the killing blow? if all he can do offensively thus far is "haki goes brrrr on my sword"
Whereas on Mihawk's end, there is a much more plausible answer for how he bypasses Shanks's superior CoC "Whaaat? how":
9. It's finite. Mihawk has to simply wait until Shank's makes a mistake with his inferior swordsmanship to land blows, and wait for Shanks to expend his haki mass.
"Wait, why would Shanks expend his haki mass that much?" In his sword attacks for one, and covering his inherent defensive weakness-> the fact that he is one armed.
"Oh but, that doesn't mean he got weaker" I never said this, his base strength is not weaker, but nothing points to it meaning he doesn't have an opening where his arm literally isn't present, nor does it mean his skill capacity got lowered, due to him losing his dominant arm, and then having to re-learn swordsmanship.
"But wait, Shanks will just defend with his haki"- EXACTLY, lets even throw in for the sake of argument that he can create a haki barrier like xebec to defend himself. He has to continually expend more haki mass to cover his defensive weakness.
- And what about offensively, despite just attacking? "Shanks has an ability to cancel out obs haki! that's how he wins"
But wait, this is probably also an ability tied to expending CoC haki, Another way to cover the apparent weakness of Shanks's weaker swordsmanship, and being to keep up with Mihawk.
Therefore Shanks will have to continually expend large amounts of CoC to keep up with Mihawk in all manner of forms, from cancelling Mihawk's Obs Haki, to Covering his defensive weakness by creating haki barriers, to also attack Mihawk and try to bypass his superior swordsmanship.
All to even the playing field, until it isn't even anymore. Shanks will be whittled down.
"Shanks has enough haki to stall for eons until Mihawk is dead, despite Mihawk probably being more efficient in using haki in swordsmanship, and any damage he takes in the meantime from being worse in swordsmanship will heal over time because he's secretly a haki jinchuriki"
Okay, prove it, the ball is in your court. Also prove his ability to cancelling obs haki will work on Mihawk, and doesn't cap out on vice-admirals or admirals.
Conc: So here I have demonstrated how Mihawk's conditions to win are more plausible than Shanks's conditions to win.