Worstgen
Elder Lee Hung
The only time where characters in the series have actually singled Mihawk out from the other Warlords, was when the Marines were surprised that Mihawk of all Warlords actually showed up to the Shichibukai meeting, which had nothing to do with strength but instead personality/disposition.
Elder Lee Hung
Other than this single moment, Mihawk has never been treated as being massively stronger than characters like prime Kuma or Weevil. Sure his bounty is like twice Croc’s and Hancock’s, but these characters were never in competition with Mihawk anyway lol. I’m moreso referring to (prime) Kuma, Weevil, *cough Doffy* and Yami Teach who should at least be decently close to Mihawk in power.
The White Crane
I think other characters treating him just like other Warlords also stems from how he carries himself around: calm and unthreatening. He is not a volatile twerp like Crydo or Meme, he is not a brash psycho like Doffy, and he is not a sly bastard like Teach. He keeps to himself and is not bothered by most things as long as his quiet life is maintained. Otherwise, I think he is worlds apart from the other warlords.