Mihawk is the strongest person in the world in a swordfight that is what the title implies. There still can be stronger people who utilize a sword in a fight like Shanks for example.
It's really laughable how much you're defending this while Mihawk wanted to test the gap between himself and Whitebeard, and your previous comment about that the he might wanted to see because he thought he could be stronger is ridiculous because it's totally out of context because it happened when WB was being introduced as the strongest man alive. Those are Oda's own words so go spindoctor away on that. There is a big gap between Mihawk and a yonkou.
Just by hype, portrayal and titles Shanks and Whitebeard have Mihawk beat.
While I agree that Whitebeard even in old age was portrayed as stronger than Mihawk, I respectfully disagree with gap between being enormous, and even more with the gap between Mihawk and Shanks are big.
What hype and portrayal Shanks got to be considering a lot stronger than Mihawk?
Every time Shanks was seen fighting or ready to fight, he draw his sword (Edd War, Marineford War, vs Whitebeard), which is suggesting he is primary swordsmen. While it's possible he got some devil fruit or that his other abilities (Haki, Speed, Durability) is better than Mihawk's it's nothing suggesting that (except maybe haki, but it's weird if Mihawk isn't good haki user).
It's up to speculation, but what is known is that Shanks spent year in weakest Blue, Mihawk somehow got title best swordsman. Before that, Mihawk often sought Shanks for a battle, why did he wanted to battle Shanks and not some other guy like Kaido, Doflamingo, etc.
If I am going to reconstruct event, Mihawk won their last battle, Shanks as fellow swordsman was ashamed so he hide in East Blue for a while, Mihawk got title best swordsmen after the battle.
Shanks later returned and become a Yonko, did he become stronger after East Blue (did he ate DF, or improve his other abillites) is up to speculation like text above. But it's entirely possible.
Shanks' title Yonko title. Mihawk's title is Shichibukai.
In order to be Yonko you need to conquer many teritories and have large crew on companions. Whitebeard Pirates had 16,017 members with a lot of allies. Beast Pirates have 500 artificial devil fruit user (+ likely many other members with real devil fruit abilities) and many allies as well.
Mihawk is shown sa long wolf, therefore can't become a Yonko.
Shichibukai were said to be equal in strength with Yonkos. Some of the Shichibukais were nothing compared to Yonko, so it would be only naturally for someone out of Shichibukai (Mihawk) to be on Yonko level.
Lmao look at the trolls coming out of their hiding. The only characters who have better hype than Mihawk in this manga are Whitebeard, Roger and Kaido.
Kaido was never hyped to be better than Mihawk, Shanks, Big Mom or BB.
He was hyped to be strongest zoan user. His title is same as Mihawk's. While Mihawk is Strongest out of all swordsman, Kaido is strongest out of all zoan users.
Before, guys starts with he was called strongest creature and strongest thing.
Creature is word used for animal (humans are animals, but they are always excluded from that group). Zoan Devil Fruit have animal theme.
Word "strongest thing" is sure one wouldn't use for human being.