There is no other way. Zoros own words prove that. For some reason u are literally trying to just change zoro goal. It’s like saying luffy can become the pirate king without finding and claiming the one piece. Do you not understand how bad of a writer that would make oda
Chapter 52 Zoro: From now to the day I beat him, and become the world’s strongest swordsman.
Zoro doesn’t say any other feat will do. In zoros speech to his captain,in front of the wss, and to us the reader he directly ties
BEATING MIHAWK TO HIS GOAL OF ACHIEVING WORLD STRONGEST SWORDSMAN STATUS.