You keep bringing in different statements like "Old Whitebeard", "Sick Whitebeard" as if that matters here.
We know Whitebeard declined due to health/age etc,. The characters in the series don't - literally every character still regarded WB as the WSM until it was proven that he had declined horribly with the whole world watching in the war.
But that's not the argument. The argument is, Mihawk is above Roger and WB cause they don't have black blades. Prime Roger and WB.
So, if Mihawk was above prime WB, why would he feel the need to test his power against any version of WB? He would know wb was weaker just from the simple fact that he didn't have a black blade right?
Again, did Crocodile shout at Whitebeard that he is weak because he is Old, now? Or did he believe that WB was still the Strongest until he saw with his own eyes that he had declined? Because Oda literally used Crocodile's reactions here to show what the rest of the World thought as well.
And again, WB declining doesn't matter AT ALL. Crocodile shit doesn't matter either. What matters is, Mihawk felt the need to test his power against WB.
When y'all have been arguing that having a black blade should mean mihawk is above wb. Mihawk would know that cause he's got the black blade. Right? So why feel the need to test the inferior non-blackblade having dude?
I don't even believe Mihawk wanted to "test" himself, it was just about the Subordinates protecting Whitebeard as @Yomi posted above.
But even in your version, if Mihawk wanted to "test himself" - he was using WSM Whitebeard as the standard for that. WB & Mihawk had never even met each other before this btw.
There was no mention of subordinates in that statement dude. If you wanna tell me that the japanese did mention it, give me proof. Mihawk just said he wanted to measure the distance between them and that man. He then used the slash which was blocked by Jozu.
That was not about physical distance. I think you know that. That was a figurative statement about their status/strength.
WB and Mihawk meeting doesn't matter either. Unless you think Mihawk didn't know he himself was the strongest being in the op verse all this time?
The simple fact that he wanted to test a dude with no black blade just shows that black blades are not the end all be all of strength.
And the fact that Mihawk would duel with shanks if he just had both arms also allude to this. His problem was with having one less hand. Not the color of shanks's sword.
Roger is basically the goal of the fucking MC in strength and infamy. Oda ain't about to supplant that just to stroke the MC's subordinates ego lol. I thought y'all learned this lesson when ZKK didn't happen. But guess not.
See what? Is there an argument hidden under your lines of cope?
Does Mihawk consider every single character on the Navy's side equal to one another in strength? That's the only way that line makes sense from a powerscaling standpoint.
It ain't my fault y'all can't read from under all that cope about mihawk>everyone.
He groups the warlords and includes himself. Meaning he thought until that moment that WB was above every warlord including him.
You know what?
Give me ONE SINGLE instance where the story even slightly indicates mihawk is above the likes of Roger and WB. ONE INSTANCE.
