@The:
First One Piece chapter of the year, and we get Haki discussion as well as Kizaru making a surprise entrance to troll the forum. I like the way this year has started already.
So one thing I thought of is the whole Cabbage/Hakuba deal. If this is all we are going to get from it for the arc, then that's going to be disappointing. I didn't mind some characters with less screen time getting short battles, but Cabbage has been focused on a good bit this arc. You then introduce a thing about split personality that was obviously going to have some sort of effect later on in the arc. When it comes down to taking down Dellinger, and then just comedy relief, that leaves a bit of a bad taste. It wasn't bad, but certainly not great. Most likely he'll have a role in the story to play later, but if that is the case, he needs a little more time to show Hakuba side, as well as the conflict between the two personalities. Not something I consider terrible, but something that really didn't work the way it could've.
Really wondering how things go from here. I would guess that Franky finishes his fight so that then the top execs are left. I'm guessing the non-doflamingo fights will be around another 5 to 7 chapters, 1 for Franky, 2 max for Pica and Dia, and a few for Trebol. Maybe with that is the destruction of the factory, and maybe Mansherry. If the pace is as quick as it's been going, I can see the Doflamingo fight being over in around 15 chapters give or take.
Once again I concur with you, Jabberwakuba. Cavendish beat Dellinger with very little fanfare. While Gladius was able to fight him well, Cabbage hasn't been pushed to an emotional point in any of his fights. As you said, given the focus on his character and the power demonstrated by Hakuba, it seems he's been sold short. It'd be like the King Punch being used to defeat Machvise, with no effects on any of the other characters.
Furthermore, while most of the winners so far are wounded or preoccupied, Cabbage is merely sleeping, which is even less of a handicap to him than it would be to a normal person. He's moved to the fourth level with Robin, bringing him closer to the remaining fights. I believe these past two chapters have further developed his character without giving him a climactic moment. They show Cabbage is able to resist Hakuba's influence when it's important, that he recognizes Hakuba's indiscriminate slaughter is dangerous to his allies. I think we'll see a struggle later on, hopefully against Trebol, where Cabbage will have an internal struggle that wins him some mastery over Hakuba in order to help others.
I'm also biased because I love the guy.
As for the remaining fights, I think Franky will win once Luffy faces down Doflamingo and the top executives' fights are completely set. The factory destruction will enrage Doffy and finally make him focus on him. The top executives will be defeated during that fight, probably finishing with Pica's fall in some explosive manner.
@Tangaroa:
If Sanji has the haki to kick a logia-user before he's blown up, knocked out or suffocated fine.
I think Caesar has more raw destructive power by virtue of his Devil Fruit but Sanji is the better fighter and is more likely to win a fight with any CoA-enabled fighter. Caesar is great in large battles like Nami or Robin.