Something I think a lot of people forget about Mihawk is that he’s a very efficient fighter. This seems contradictory given how extra he is with everything else, but Oda explicitly tells us this as far back as Baratie.
That’s not just a look into his character, it’s a clue about his fighting style too, which his subsequent fights support.
I know Marineford is a contentious moment re Mihawk’s strength, since by his own admission he doesn’t plan to hold back against Luffy, but then barely does anything when clashing with him, Croc, Vista, etc.
For the record I hate “fraudhawk” discourse, I think it’s a gross misunderstanding of canon and annoying to boot, but I also don’t think it’s quite true that Mihawk held back at Marineford either. It 100% was NOT close to his full power, of course… but that’s the whole point. Mihawk never starts fights at full or even half strength, even the ones he’s taking seriously enough to forego Kogatana for.
He doesn’t bother to engage in fights that don’t interest him unless forced. He doesn’t use Yoru when Kogatana will do, unless it’s a sign of respect like his first fight with Zoro. He doesn’t use named attacks when simpler moves will get the job done.
He doesn’t use canons to hunt rabbits.
So he’s not holding back at Marineford, but rather approaching his opponents with that same slow build of effort. If you’re fighting Mihawk, YOU have to prove you’re worth HIS time. Even in war.
He tests his opponents with these basic moves to see if expending any more energy is even necessary. It’s just that there was so much shit going on at Marineford, so none of his match ups actually lasted long enough to move past that point.
Remember that Mihawk is a very private person. He plays his cards very close to his chest, and doesn’t give anything - not a word, not a gesture, not even a passing glance - more than he feels obligated to. It’s entirely IC that this would extend to his fighting, too.
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