This is why I'm on your side with this. If Doffy and Kata can be 2 major opponents that used it where Oda highlighted it, and Oda even went out of his way to show that Zoan awakening is a transformation, then by all accounts, he should have a clearly defined awakening.
Again, I've argued this was the endgame of the fight (this clash) for 3 chapters, but him getting up and using awakening imo is makes far more sense than a Yonko not outwardly showing it like Luffy is.