Ability

== Introduction ==
It's not some sort of special power, but he has the ability to make a decision on everything he meets. And that is the most fearsome ability on the high seas...
He doesn't swallow something whole without chewing it. He tries to see with his own eyes, to hear with his own ears. He tries to confirm what he is not sure. He often asks a question why.
I would like to think "why" rather than how strong/powerful. Why did the author name him the strongest swordsman? What is strength in him? 
In numbers? No. He is alone.
In special armor? No. He is lightly dressed.
In special weapons? No. He has a sword and a knife.
Well, just a moment, his sword is one of Saijo O Wazamono, I've heard.
Then why does the sword recognize that he is owner?
I think that we can explain it simply without another special idea which has not described yet in the text. They are something accepted usual working, leaning, playing in our real life.
Actually, I often hear same things as the founders maxim, companies motto, teachers and parents advice, of course "五輪の書:Gorin no sho (The Book of Five Rings)" written by Musashi the master swordsman undefeated. "Gorin no sho" is one of the know-how idea books which Japanese business-men like to read as much as Chinese classics, 諸子百家:Shoshi Hyakka (Hundred Schools of Thought).
===== 五輪の書:"The Book of Five Rings" =====
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Book_of_Five_Rings
===== 諸子百家:Shoshi Hyakka =====
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hundred_Schools_of_Thought
Everyone cannot become a king in zero-sum game, as Doflamingo says. But anyone can become wise and strong in plus-sum language game. The knowledge is not what we scramble for the single chair, but what we can tell each other in earnest and peacefully.
I think that his ability associates with his strange inconsistent personality. But anyway, we shall see his critical ability. 
Shall I use Occam's razor fearlessly?
They are just two abilities: flexibility and plasticity.
== Flexibility ==
He makes a decision quickly, turns it over radically.
He often mistakes, misjudges, overestimates, but reviews, reconsiders, reexamines every time, and comes out his true, his best in the end.
His decision-making system is quick and accurate. Above all, his sense-making is super high-speed. His observation and orientation of something unexpected are flexible. He can cancel his stereotype and prejudice easily, and be free from fixed bias idea.
==== Chapter:550 海軍本部:Kaigun Honbu (THE MARINE HEADQUARTERS) ====
He stood with his sword on his back quietly.
==== Chapter:551 「四皇"白ひげ"」:Yonkou Shiro-hige ([Four Emperors "White beard"]) ====
Akainu heard the sound of the sea.
==== Chapter:552 エースと白ひげ: Ace to Shiro-hige (Ace and White beard) ====
He had readied his sword on his shoulder and stepped forward to White beard before big wave Tsunami. He is like a nervous race horse who is beginning to dash in the noisy racetrack before opening the gate. His face is like a 瞋怒面:Shinnu-men(face of anger) of 十一面観音:juuichi-men Kannon(eleven faces Kannon), one of the avatar of 観音菩薩:Kannon Bosatsu(Avalokiteśvara, Guanyin) 
Shinnu-men is an expression of anger with the arching of the eyebrows and a down-turned mouth (like letter of "へ" in Japanese Kana); - Kyoto corpus 
Mihawk mouth is a typical letter of  "へ" , and the angle of the mouth is the barometer of his anger. He is quick-tempered. He got angry at the very beginning of the war. There is only one reason why a man stands by a woman. This is later. 
==== Chapter: 50 - 52 ====
He changed his call to Zoro 9 times at the duel. He often reviewed his view. too often.
弱きものよ -> ぬし -> 井の中の吠えし蛙よ -> 弱き者よ -> 小僧 -> 強き者よ -> 若き力よ -> 貴様 -> ロロノア
To begin with, he would hunt the head of Pirate Armada, so he chased the ship to far East-Blue from Grand line (maybe crossing the calm belt). But when he met the new interesting team, he altered his decision lightly, even spoiled his efforts and time until then, and went back home empty-handed. 
If I have something prepared by myself for a week , I am not sure I can spoil my efforts and time lightly. 
Anyway, he casually spins a top, Trial-and-Error spiral, PDCA(Plan-Do-Check-Act) cycle, OODA(Observe-Orient-Decide-Act) loop, and so on.
Maybe he likes something turning round and round like "三千世界:Sanzen-Sekai(3rd power of 1,000 worlds, the Universe)".
I have learned from the children that "ready(タメ:tame)" and" cancel(ペケ:peke)" skill is very important on the action game.
==== Chapter: 51 ロロノア・ゾロ海に散る:Roronoa Zoro Umi ni Chiru (Roronoa Zoro scattered in the sea) ====
He was upset at the moment he noticed Zoro's starting rotation of 三千世界:Sanzen-Sekai with cold sweat on his face during his dash to Zoro. But next moment, he canceled his active move and turned to passive move to cancel the rotation quickly. If he turned to defensive move, only he might be alive...around the ship.
==== Chapter: 561 ルフィー vs. ミホーク: Luffy vs. Mihawk ====
Luffy also has this flexibility. They are agile like "Tom & Jerry". Mihawk is very alike Luffy, and vice versa. He has an aspect that chills Luffy's blood with horror, and vice versa. 
Imagine all the people who have no more head.
They are horrified each other as a kitty on the piano looking the black mirror and stepping the key or a cat on a hot tin roof.
==== Chapter: 570 命の懸橋: Inoch no Kakehashi ====
Mihawk got angry intensely at Luffy's unconscious Haoshoku Haki.
Imagine all the people who have no more mind.
He flied into a rage to make a side attack from distance before he got close and stood in front of his opponent. He was verging on the kind of stupid beast who hunts a running rabbit with full power he hates.
What he says is the state of himself.
Let's talk again later in detail on his "Personality & Relationships".
== Plasticity ==
He has no special move which can/must be named. 
I often play action games using him, but I can't shout his special move name. I'm lonely. a bit.
He is free from fixed function even his few highlight vs. Zolo/Luffy. He can just act simply corresponding to his condition and situation as he likes.
He is the character 永:Ei (Eight Principles of Yong) of calligraphy.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eight_Principles_of_Yong
He is watching for an opportunity to find out some elements/essence of method from the other outputs. He seems to think about that, arrange them and make his idea as he plays with clay.
==== Chapter:555 オーズと笠:Oars to Kasa (OARS AND THE CONICAL HAT) ====
Doflamingo cut Oars' leg and Moria pricked him "TSUNO-TOKAGE" uppercut.
==== Chapter:556 正義は勝つ!!:Seigi wa Katsu!! (JUSTICE WILL PREVAIL!!) ====
He looked sideways at their actions and result quiet motionlessly.
Only his eyes were exciting.
Maybe thinking time, "...uppercut is good enough for little me..."
==== Chapter: 561 ルフィー vs. ミホーク: Luffy vs. Mihawk ====
Then he stepped down on the ground and released an uppercut to Luffy which cut the top of Kuzan's ice mountain. It would be the time to say good-bye to all soldiers in his range if it was horizontal.
It is same as "Gomu-Gomu no Kazaguruma(pinwheel)!!!"
They are very serious, but others wonder "what are you doing!?"
We can see his interesting behavior as children play, 粘土いじり:Nendo-ijiri (clay-play), 木のぼり:Ki-nobori (tree climbing), 虫とり:Mushi-tori (insect catching), 凧あげTako-age (kite flying), 縄とび:Nawa-tobi (rope skipping), 駒まわしKoma-mawashi (top spinning), Niramekko(staring contest), 鬼ごっこ:Onigokko (play tag), かくれんぼ:Kakurenbo(Hide-and-seek), of course, チャンバラ:Chanbara(sword play) and so on.
The object-method terms in Japanese are solitaire (playable as competition, too).
If you have a free time and chance to read again, try to change his avatar image to "Mihawk as a child".
A-ha...あばれはっちゃく(mischievous boy).
He always loses a game. splendidly...
Just never say give-up. absolutely...
He hates losing a game. definitely...
He is curious to see everything. He wants to try anything sincerely.He is still on the way to learn something through experience.
But he will not call his move such as "Mihawk Upper!", "Mihawk Slice!", "Mihawk Radish Cutter!", "Mihawk Flying Squirrel!" I'm lonely.a bit. Mihawk in the action game is always roaring ”HAAAAAAH”,"WOOOOOH" like a beast, without calling a special move......Zoro can call "刀狼流しTou-Rou-Nagashi" even passive move.
This means the limitless possibility of combination just like our language.analyzing/combinationDigital layericons,symbols,phrase　　　　　Devil-Fruits/Special Movescharacters/morphemes(word)letters/phonemesAnalog layerline/sound　　　　　　　　　　(Ha)kiHe is used to various method of phonetics, phonemics, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics, and so on. His advantage is that he can use these combination pattern across the layers as long as he will stay a man. He is likely to forget it by crazy anger. 
However/Therefore he trained himself seriously, to go well with his brutal nature, I suppose.世の中に　絶えて剣／言葉の　なかりせばYo no naka ni / Taete Tsurugi/Kotoba no / Nakari sebaおれはケモノか　はたまた人かOre wa Kemono ka / Hatamata Hito kaIf there is no sword/word in the world,Am I a man? or a beast?Let's talk again later in detail about his specialty on the next topic "Skill". He is a poet who inherits old Poetic Geniuses in Japan.
Japanese parents often let their wild children learn "XX道:XX-dou" such as 武道:bu-dou(martial arts such as 剣道:Ken-dou, 柔道:Juu-dou, 空手道:Karate-dou,合気道Aiki-dou), 書道:syo-dou:(calligraphy), 茶道:sa-dou(tea ceremony), 華道:Ka-dou(the art of flower arrangement).
They hope that children will learn to behave in the society/community and turn off restless fidgety behavior. They rarely hope for them to be the strongest. They hope for them to have a calm life. Mihawk seems to be one of such wild child like 参議篁:Sangi Takamura
===== 参議篁:Sangi Takamura =====
old poet who has a lot of strange legends, Court Councillor who loved martial arts from his childhood.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ono_no_Takamura
Anyway, that's all about his ability.
He is a privileged non-regulated character who is excluded from some rules. One of the exemptions is no Special-Moves like "Gomu-Gomu-no-hogehoge".
His flexibility and plasticity are parallel to story-writing and drawing of One Piece.
Mihawk is not only an abstract and conceptional character, but also requires high-technique drawing extremely delicate on line/sound analog layer.
The author should show his reality with only his dynamic pen-work, without specific Special-Moves like the digital card battle games running on smart phones.
Next: Skill Top: Overview Home: Mihawk in Japanese Wiki
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