[Spoilers] Regarding Mihawk & the WSS Title

[Naruto D Luffy]

I speculate, that in the world of One Piece, they held a tournament many years ago to determine the World's Strongest Swordsman. Mihawk participated in it and won it, & was granted the title. Now this is where things get dicey. I don't believe that that there was too large of a field of participants in it, Shiryuu didn't participate (in Impel Down), Shanks didn't participate (forming his own crew or still on Roger's Ship), Not many Wano people showed up.
Something similar to the Budokai's held in DBZ where Mihawk won one and never returned.


In summation, he hadn't tested his title, or wasn't challenged for it.

 

[A v i]

Nah,i don't think so. If that's the case then Mihawk would have met Vista in that tournament at least once but they didn't meet each other until their fight at MF which means that there is no such a thing as tournament for WSS in OP world.

 

[Red Swag]

still dont get how he got the title... maybe a yonko like wb or some top tier fighter gave him that title.

but i like the tournament idea of yours.

 

[Olorin]

or he is just widely regarded as the worlds strongest swordsman, it's due to his reputation and probably feats

tbh the whole tournament ''theory'' is just weird

 

[Jimmy page]

It's a good theory, but it takes the romance out of the title. It's kinda like in sports.

 

[Qazim]

I dont think there was a tournament like that, probably the WG gave him that title because he never lost a fight and they know how strong he is

 

[Dr Strangelove]

Nah, probably like WsM title. The World Government just deemed him it. Similar to the WmD.

 

[Forbidden Tale]

Do you want to say that there are people that are better than Mihawk, but didn't participle in the tournament and that Mihawk maybe is not best swordsman??

It would be totally wrong.. Oda for 15 years hyping Mihawk as best swordsman and Zoro as one who will surpass him and in the end to state that Mihawk is whole time actually not best swordsman, no way...

 

[Hexuze]

Dark King Rayleigh was the previous WSS.

 

[WhistleBlower]

A tournament doesn't seem quite like Mihawk's style. That would require him actively doing something that doesn't seem his style.

I'm thinking that he got the title from just being a badass swordsman and defeating plenty of other really badass swordsmen without ever losing. I'm pretty sure it's one of those "understood" titles more than it is a systematically earned title.

Kind of like Whitebeard's WSM title.

 

[Forbidden Tale]

I'm thinking that he got the title from just being a badass swordsman and defeating plenty of other really badass swordsmen without ever losing. I'm pretty sure it's one of those "understood" titles more than it is a systematically earned title.

I would rather say that he just defeated previous best swordsman and become new one.

 

[Fireplay]

Nah i don't think there were any tournaments Lol

I think it was like this...

Mihawk has been training since he was a kid and eventually became a great swordsman. He had no rivals so he went around challenging dojos and beat down every single one of them and got famous so all the swordsmen started challenging him and they were all getting crushed one by one and Mihawk got bored and since none of the swordsmen were ever able to beat him he was regarded as "the greatest swordsman in the world" in comes Shanks... Shanks asks Mihawk to join his crew but Mihawk refuses so Shanks made a deal with him "if i beat you in swordsmanship you'll have to join my crew" which Mihawk agreed to (Mihawk feels like Shanks is special probably due to sensing his CoC) so they start fighting and for the first time in a long time Mihawk is actually enjoying fighting since he now has to try in order to win but neither one of them won the fight. Shanks and Mihawk separate and go on with their lives...after crushing hundreds of challengers more Mihawk realises that Shanks is the only one who can actually fight on par with him which causes Mihawk to go and seek Shanks for a duel again and again and again and again as fighting Shanks is the only thing that satisfies Mihawk. All of their duels ended in draws which is why Mihawk never joined Shanks' crew but since they were fighting each other so much, Shanks started thinking of Mihawk like a crew member. Shanks was never able to beat Mihawk and Mihawk was never able to beat Shanks but Shanks still considers Mihawk a nakama due to their numerous duels. Also, since Mihawk never lost he still has his title.

Kinda like Luffy and Law...Law wont join the Straw Hats but Luffy will still consider him a nakama.

Imo Mihawk's WGS title isn't due to any tournament. I think he's more like Bruce Lee...he got challenged plenty of times and he crushed every single one which is why the world knows that he's the greatest.