One of the most iconic and crucial scenes in the One Piece series has to be when Roronoa Zoro encounters Dracule Mihawk. This scene, which happens at the very early stages in the manga and Episode 24 of the anime, is one of the defining moments in the character of Zoro and his path to becoming the world's greatest swordsman.
The fight thus relocates to Baratie, a floating restaurant, with the entry of Mihawk, also known as the world's strongest swordsman. Feeling that this is his chance to see how he stands up against the best, Zoro engages in combat against Mihawk. This is extremely important, for it is Zoro's first real test against someone who actually turns out to be of world class.
From the very beginning, there is a visible chasm between Zoro and Mihawk in ability and power. Even at full strength and filled with pride from conquering the East Blue, Zoro doesn't stand a chance against Mihawk. It simply shows how far Zoro has to go before his dream of being the world's greatest swordsman truly comes within reach.
The fight itself does not last that long; it is piercing. Realizing the will and the potential of Zoro, Mihawk confronts him with a small knife and not his personal black sword. This action, which at first seems disrespectful, actually denotes the seriousness that Mihawk holds toward Zoro at this point in his journey and how interested he is in testing the resolve of the young swordsman.
As the fight progresses, Zoro is slowly going through all his powerful techniques in his arsenal, including his Original Three Sword Style. But Mihawk simply counters everything with ease, making it very evident how their ability is far from comparable. The last moment of this fight was when Mihawk, impressed by Zoro's spirit, decided to end the fight by cutting a huge gash across his chest using his black sword.
Although this defeat was crushing, it proved to be the turning point for Zoro. Instead of becoming discouraged, Zoro's will was strengthened. In what has become one of the legendary moments among One Piece fans, Zoro stood up and turned to face Mihawk with open arms when death was imminent, saying that he did not need a wound on his back, for it would have been a swordsman's shame. It was at this point, with such a bold act of bravery and dedication to the way of the sword, that Mihawk came to respect him.
This fight is very character-developing for Zoro. Indeed, impressed with his spirit, Mihawk spares his life and offers Zoro a challenge to surpass him one day. The relationship established by this scene is that Mihawk is a mentor and Zoro a student, which will become important much further into the series.
The fight between Zoro and Mihawk has been remade plenty of times, most recently in Netflix's live-action adaptation. This was attempted to be dark and poignant, characterization of the moment, by putting into action one of the most breathtaking scenes of One Piece's early stages.
It's quite common to find fans speculating on the possibility of a future rematch between Zoro and Mihawk. Keeping that in mind, the event of such a fight becomes one of the most debated topics in the One Piece community. Perhaps, many fans would like to imagine Zoro with one final sword—most likely his treasured Wado Ichimonji—to go against Mihawk in an aggressive fight that would serve as a culmination to Zoro's journey.
However, having a rematch anytime soon is relatively unlikely at least in adaptations like the Netflix series. The huge difference in powers and the structure of the story say that the confrontation should be left so far ahead in the series.
The Zoro vs. Mihawk fight, however, proved to have an effect beyond just their interaction. In recent manga chapters, Zoro is faced with a Seraphim version of Mihawk. This is a test for Zoro—to show how much he has improved since the time he met the real Mihawk.
Worth noting, the Zoro vs. Mihawk fight is materially different from the other major fights in One Piece, like Luffy vs. Kaido. Contrary to Luffy's fights, where many rounds and succeeding power-ups take a central place in the storyline, Zoro's battle with Mihawk is about the journey and long-term growth rather than immediate victory.