@shinpanman:
When the foreshadowing is too heavy, the events that follow lose a lot of their impact unless they create dramatic irony which, like I said, would only matter if the characters were really compelling. I prefer Oda's usual method of dropping hints that you don't really think have any connection until the big reveal and you're like "Wow, that's kinda crazy, but now that I think about it, that makes a lot of sense…" And the stuff that he seems to pull out of his ass without foreshadowing at all (though has obviously meticulously planned) has really created an enjoyable read: =gasp= Klahadore is Captain Kuro? or =gasp= the shipwrights are members of CP9??
In this arc, I can't say I've been surprised or moved by anything.
I think it's hard to have any surprises when so many users here make predictions. There wasn't nearly this much speculation until after Thriller Bark. I'm sure if there was such a large community back in Water 7 people would have spouted Lucci, Kaku, Blueno, and Califa being in CP9….along with Paulie, Franky, Kokoro, Tyrannosaurus etc.
I think Bart's relationship with Luffy was a good twist (although predicted) and nobody thought Ricky, Rebecca, the Toy Soldier, and the dwarves stories would have been so intertwined when introduced initially. I'm still wondering who turns the fighters into toys, what did Ricky do on that fateful day 10 years ago, why Rebecca and Scarlet weren't living in the castle, what did Doflamingo do to Law etc. Even the community is split between Cavendish and Rebecca winning Block C or the tournament format for next round.