Again nothing to do with skill simply strength and power.
Authors generally implicate whole individual when referring to a swordsman, not merely their swordsmanship. Hence strongest swordsman = strongest individual with swordsmanship. Mihawk > Shanks no matter which styles Shanks may or not bear.
Skill>Strength
Mihawk went into the Summit War as an observer in order to foresee the upcoming events as well as new powerhouses (like Luffy) that will arise as a result of this unprecedented conflict.
all the admirals will clown mihawk bar his equal fujitora
Does Saikyo mean strongest or not
that's all im saying, Mihawk=>Fujitora