Zoro learned haki in a specific part of flashback tho, not during the entirety of TS. Obviously you can integrate haki with your swordsmanship to complement each other. It doesn't nullify the difference of Rayleigh's teaching vs Mihawk's teaching.
Nah, the point is Zoro learned Haki from his mentor primarily as well, just like Luffy did. Think about it, in the only flashback between Mihawk & Timeskip Zoro, we see Mihawk teach him Haki. Not sword techniques.
Zoro's techniques got stronger, not necessarily due to haki. We just see his technique become bigger, his tornadoes become longer in duration, his flying slashes become longer, is it CoA lengthening the distance or prolonging the tornado Tatsumaki? Of course not, the basics and advanced levels of his sword technique and strength is certainly better compared to pre-TS, not solely CoA.
True but the same applies to Luffy as well. He never really learned anything except Haki from Rayleigh but was able to improve his Gears and came up with Gear 4. And most of Zoro's improved sword techniques are just COA versions of his old techniques - the slashes travelling longer & the tornadoes getting larger are simply due to using COA in his moves now. Zoro noted that using Shusui made his pound hawks stronger on one blade in Thriller Bark due to the weight of the blade, meaning the weight of the swing factors into the strength of the slash and the weight of the slash obviously increases with haki infusion, therefore stronger slashes, larger tatsumakis and longer travelling for pound hawks etc,. Just like how haki infusion made Luffy's gear 2 & gear 3 punches stronger.
Really no one even mentioned that Mihawk the WSS having the strongest haki. At marineford, a guy mentioned Mihawk's "slash" as the world's strongest slash. Is peak CoC applied as a slash? No, the strongest CoC infusion until now is applied as crushing attacks making no-touch zone.
Ive never really argued that Mihawk has the strongest haki (or stronger haki than Shanks). But then again, having stronger haki does not mean that a character is stronger since what matters is results & results are the sum of all the parts put together of which haki is just one part. Best ex is Kata vs Luffy where Kata still had better CoO but Luffy beat & surpassed him. Disagree about the no-touch zone Genkidama, imo thats just Bajrung Gun vs Blazing Bagua juxtaposed on the Moon as a background since we only see that "no touch zone" your talking about in one panel which can also be interpreted this way.
Mihawk didn't even teach Zoro CoC. Even the burden of proof is needed for Mihawk being able of doing CoC. Mihawk's teaching was all CoA. While Ray taught CoC, something Mihawk would emphasize to Zoro if only he is a master at it. But seeing Zoro's reply to Kaidou ("what do you mean CoC? I just willpower it with all my strength"), he wasnt taught CoC, implying Mihawk is not a CoC master.
Luffy already had CoC in pre TS whereas Zoro only got it in Wano. Why do you think Mihawk should teach someone who isnt a CoC user about CoC? Then again, its not like he wasnt taught about CoC, at FMI he clearly recognizes what it is and talks about it like he knows what it is. Against Kaido he just didnt know what he did.
No one mention Roger as WSS at his time, Kaidou hyped Roger's haki instead of him being the WSS, WB hyped Shanks' CoC instead of him being a master swordsman, Vergo saying "haki user" as a separate term
Again, Roger, Oden, Shanks were all given the same verbage when their relationship with their sword was brought about - "Roger's beloved sword Ace, Oden's beloved sword Enma, Shanks' beloved sword Gryphon", what do you think that means? Besides, didnt Akainu call Vista, a swordsman, a Haki user in Marineford? Pretty sure I can dig up more quotes of characters referring to Zoro as a haki user. Plus lets look at Wano Kuni, the land of the swordsmen. What is the most prevalent power here (like Mantra in Skypeia)? Ryou Haki, basically CoA infusion in the blade. And out of all the Wano citizens we know of, only Oden had CoC and voila, he could infuse CoC with the blade.
Zoro gave himself "King of Hell" instead of saying "now i'm one step closer to take WSS throne" or "i' a stronger swordsman now" etc once he mastered CoC, thus giving even more impression that haki is its own thing. Rayleigh saying since the first time that haki is an energy. Using haki is using that energy thus making haki as an independent power.
Wait didnt he think about his promise to Luffy to not lose until he beats that man and becomes the WSS right after beating King & before proclaiming himself as KoH?
Zoro tamed Oden's sword and he spent the entire arc upgrading his swordsmanship via techniques like Flame cutting, Clear Lance etc, before ultimately taking it to the highest level using CoC. So what gives?
Kaidou recognize Shanks as the only living person capable of matching him, while Mihawk didnt get that recognition. This is a clear advantage in Shanks' powerlevel portrayal compared to Mihawk, just like how Mihawk has his WSS title as his portrayal advantage over Shanks.
Thing is, we know Kaido met Shanks but we dont see him meeting Mihawk at all in his entire flashback. Im pretty sure you would agree with me that Oden is weaker than characters like Big Mom/Mihawk but Oden is up there while these characters arent & why is that?
- powerlevel-wise, i don't agree about WSS status as the strongest in haki, sincea character's strength as a haki user is its own term.
- narrative-wise, it's always Luffy and his hardest opponents that get the best haki. Always been the case.
- since the beginning, and especially now, Shanks is portrayed as the best CoC user in OP.
I agree wirh all three of this. Thing is, I dont think Shanks is going to be Luffy's opponent, not anymore. But yes, until proven otherwise, Shanks has the best CoC in the verse maybe after Roger.
At the very least the argument is that Shanks & Mihawk are relative, just like how Whitebeard & Roger are. And that Haki infusion is also a part of swordsmanship.