i have a question, does anyone else think that the cloak mihawk wears is the same cloak rayeigh has on in chapter 0.
http://www.onemanga.com/One_Piece/565.5/05/
http://www.onemanga.com/One_Piece/550/08-09
well if not the same very similar. here is my theory.
i think the cloak represents that the person who wears it, is the strongest swordsman in the world. it would explain why mihawk and shanks fought each other so. they were battling to see who was the better swordsman, to carry on the tradition. what ever happened, mihawk was chosen.
it would explain there friendship and what seems to be a healthy respect for each other.
rogers and luffy are so much alike and it would only make sense that they thought alike. the same speech zoro gave luffy about his dream, rayleigh probably told roger something similar