We are talking about a Manga where Oda created so many Non-Sword Fighting-Styles that are made possible thanks to DFs, Science, Firearms, Martial Arts, Race Abilities, Non-Bladed Weapons ... etc
Yet He chose to give a Sword to Shanks, let's say He wanted to start a Story with a Swordsman,
Why then give Rayleigh & Luffy's Mentor a Sword too?
Why then give Pirate King a Sword too? When He could have given him Garp's Fighting Style instead,
Why make Oden comparable to them?
Why give a Sword to Xebec? Harald? Garling?
He even Created a Shanks Twin & again gave him a Sword!
Why give WB a Meito? Why give Big Mom a Sword? Shiki? Nusjuro?
Why give Ryuma a Black Blade? ... etc
Does this sound like an Author who doesn't want Readers to Upscale Mihawk?
And even if We pretend like Mihawk doesn't Exist or wasn't Introduced yet, who else Fights like Shanks? (Non-DF & CoC-Fueled Fighting Style)
We have Harald, Xebec, Garp, Roger, Rayleigh, Gaban, Oden (These are Confirmed so far)
All of these are Re-Skins of Shanks, and They are either Dead or Old/Half-Retired,
So, in this Category of Peak Fighting Style (According to Kaidou), only Shanks is Left to represent them (Maybe Beckman too alongside him)
Who did Oda chose among New Gen to Rival Shanks in such Throne? Who is Successor of these Guys?
Luffy? Loki? Blackbeard? Yamato? Law? Kid? Nope, They are all DF Users!
Only Zoro is a Candidate to Replace Shanks in said Category, why would Author lead his +1100 Chapters Manga into this?
If He doesn't want you to think that Mihawk is Stronger than all those Guys, then why make Zoro the only one who falls into that Category of Fighters?
Seriously, read this List multiple times, these are Confirmed Non-DF Adv. CoC Users so far:
Ryuma (Most Definitely)
Harald
Xebec
Garp
Roger
Rayleigh
Gaban
Oden
Shanks
Zoro
Look at who are these Guys,
Look how many of them are Swordsmen,
Look how many of them are Dead or Retired/Old, who are only ones Left? Only Shanks & Zoro,
So even without Mihawk & WSS Title, it was always clear that Zoro took a Path where He must Surpass these Guys (And by Extension their Rivals too), it's just that Oda summarized this whole Journey into One Title & One Opponent to Beat, and He made him only related to Shanks, because that's who the Current Representative of this category of Fighters is,
In other words ---> Surpassing all these Legends who fall under same Category as Zoro = Surpassing Shanks = Being ready to Face Mihawk.
This whole Equation was made clear since East Blue Saga, but People apparently prefer if Manga was written by them.