So, some random thoughts after reading this chapter:
Well, let's see. We've got Riku, Usopp, Kin'emon, Kanjuro, Hack, Viola, and Tank on the plateau. Even with Hack and Usopp being injured, it's hard to imagine what kind of threat could be posed here, short of Doflamingo's crew, Maynard, or some of the remaining Colosseum contestants.
For Dofla's crew, we've got Trebol, Jora, and Buffalo unaccounted for at the moment. I don't think they'll be attacking the plateau: I expect Trebol to be at the palace (where he'll fight someone strong, perhaps Hakuba), and not only have Jora and Buffalo already been defeated previously, from what we've seen I don't really feel like her powers are entirely well-suited to working together with others (which might be why she went to the Sunny with a bunch of fodder, when most of the officers seem to work together).
Of the gladiators, we haven't seen Jean Ango, Mummy, Meadows, Damask, Rolling Logan, Acilia, Spartan, or Hera. Of those, I doubt Acilia will fight against the Strawhats (she already sided with Rebecca, whose well-known grandfather is also being targeted), and Spartan and Hera seem to just be named fodder, but bringing them in with some other random fodder fighters could make for a good battle at the plateau.
Sugar waking up is interesting: it seems unlikely that the headcrackers will be the limit of her contributions, so we'll probably either get a real 1v1 against her, or she'll play an important role in the plot before being knocked out again. I don't expect Luffy to get toyified - or at least, not for longer than Robin did - due to the fact that most of the other set-up pieces have fallen into place and more look likely to be ready in the next few chapters, but I did like the suggestion about Luffy getting toyified so that Law can get further humiliated 1v1 against Doflamingo before Luffy fights him. Either Usopp or Robin would seem to be set up to fight her (Usopp to show he can win when Trebol isn't there, Robin to make up for her previous underestimate of Sugar which resulted in being briefly toyified), but Robin looks to be setting up a fight alongside Bartolomeo against Gladius and the headcrackers, and Usopp is currently over with the others on the old plateau. Not sure how that's going to work out, or who will end up dealing with Sugar.
Glad to see it looks like Robin is getting a fight. I'm not entirely sure how that fight is going to work out, yet, but I like all the possibilities I'm coming up with. Robin seems to be well-suited for taking down Gladius, while Barto's barriers provide an interesting match-up (Which is stronger? The barrier ability, or the puncture ability?). Plus, the barriers are likely to be useful against the headcrackers.
I can't tell what happens to Cavendish when Robin and Bartolomeo send Luffy, Law, and Kyros to the Sunflower field. I feel like he'll be fighting Trebol (presumably, needing Hakuba to win), and it's hard to imagine that Gladius and the headcrackers would require a third strong fighter to defeat.
Rebecca looks pretty scared when she realizes that Diamante is there. I guess there's the possibility that recent events mean her berserk button will be pressed and Diamante will lose, but she's a 16 year old; she's younger than Chopper now, and a year younger than Luffy was pre-TS. Moreover, while she has quite respectable speed, she seems to be lacking in combat experience compared to Diamante (note him stepping on her foot to keep her from using her speed to escape during the finals and thereby landing a clean hit on her) and hasn't demonstrated much in the way of offense (in fact, her sole attack to date, which was against Diamante, was ineffective). Still, while I don't expect her to win, I expect to see something from her: maybe she'll simply hold her own until Kyros arrives (perhaps by staying on her feet even while beaten and bloody - I envision a Hannyabal-like moment of awesome, even though it seems unlikely), maybe she'll get the finishing blow, or maybe she'll simply manage to injure Diamante before Kyros takes over. Any of these would be a respectable showing, and would cement her as a potent, though not top-tier (at least, yet), fighter. I do expect Kyros to be Diamante's main opponent, though. He's too hyped to be left out - he needs something to keep him occupied - and we have a lot of foreshadowing regarding a fight between him and Diamante.
I'm wondering whatever happened to Gambia. In most series, I'd write him off as likely dead, but this is One Piece (and it was pretty clearly a gag to have Maynard offscreen him and leave him in the trash, only to have Barto do exactly the same thing to him in revenge, and Maynard is fine now).
Also, now that Koala has found out what's going on in the port, I wonder what she's up to. I'd like to see her have a fight, but that might be something Oda is saving for a future arc (it seems unlikely he'd make her the first human fishman karate user shown, and then never make this relevant to the plot).
Overall, pretty good chapter (though not outstanding), and the set-up is progressing nicely. I can really feel the progress in the story over the last few chapters; so many of the outstanding plot points are starting to come together. Also, we've gotten some great comedy over those chapters (even this chapter, while missing the hilarious moments we've had in a few recent chapters - the arguments between the Colosseum competitors, Law thinking that the bull was more comfortable, Kanjuro's terrible drawings, the second argument about who would beat Doflamingo, Nipple Light Special vs Diaper Bomb in the battle of manly men - had some solid comedy), and Bartolomeo is just consistently hilarious, and this has really helped to carry these chapters.
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