@Panda:
This would be completely off topic, so I won't ask you to elaborate on it, but I believe you are the first person I've seen express a negative opinion on this arc we're going into, and I'm honestly kind of surprised.
Eh, my thread, I can go off topic. :P
I was loving it through 701. Then the pacing died with 702, and with the reveal of the tournament arc I lost all enthusiasm. I never wanted to see a tournament arc in One-Piece, as I feel like there's just no way to truly make it as interesting and engaging as a standard arc. I felt like 703 was a completely meh chapter that shouldn't have been a chapter by itself, and, while 704 was a bit better, it felt like a lot more time wasted on people who aren't going to be around very long outside of Rebecca. The ending got me a little excited, as did 705. Oddly, everything outside of Luffy still has me excited. Sadly, Luffy is the main character, so most of our time will be spent there, and I'm just dreading it. I'm hoping that Oda will pull through and make it interesting, but I think the only way I could enjoy it is: Luffy one-shots Bellamy again, tournament is interrupted and ends after block D. I don't want 2-4 months of fighting that's not even vital to the main storyline. Yes there will be other things going on, but the main arc–the stuff I'm excited for can't progress till Luffy's done with the tournament.
So I've been considering taking a break, as I figure it will all go down easier if I can digest 6 or so chapters at a time.
And on top of all of it, I'm worried that Luffy participating in this tournament will all be part of some convoluted plan of Doflamingo's that will just reek of bad writing. But I've gone into enough detail on that recently in the Theories thread.
I'm honestly surprised that I seem to be alone in this. In that poll about a tournament arc, so many people were against it. Yet the minute Oda started it, everyone fell in line. Which is cool. It's whatever. I'm sure by the end I'll love it, I just can't bring myself to get excited about it at the moment. It just feels as if this arc could have progressed just fine without this tournament stuff. It feels forced in, and I have no idea why Oda would do that.
The sad thing is, I'm a staunch defender of Fishmen Island, so there should be something that I can latch onto with all this Luffy stuff, but...
Yeah.
--- Update From New Post Merge ---
@Cymelion:
Problem with plot holes and One Piece is they're only applicable till they're explained. Oda's not perfect sure but I think if he brings back Monet it will be for the right reasons and not just for the lulz.
I'm fine with her being brought back, just not with her being the one on the ship. I have no issues with being wrong. I fully expect to be.