I'm sorry but I wonder how some of you guys enjoyed this manga in the past issues.
"Luffy has taken too long to recover from Gear 4"
He also got his feet stuck in cement and missed much of the Arlong Park fight
He got his hand encased in a giant gold ball for several issues
He got stuck in a giant snake for what felt like forever
He got stuck between 2 buildings in W7 for a long time
He got lost in Ennies lobby
It sure did take him a long time to recover from Magellan's poison
Removing Luffy from the action in serious or comical way is a staple of this manga. I really don't think 3 issues is too long myself especially when this arc will read pretty darn good once it is all said and done. It's a pain to wait for each issue every week, but I can't lie that every issue keeps me wanting more and I think it is great.
"Doffy is too powerful"
Crocodile steamrolled everyone until the water thing was figured out, including a high ranking marine member (hmm that seems familiar)
Enel literally died and was resurrected by using his powers
Magellan owned the number 2 member of the Revolutionary Army
There are many more. Something you shouldn't do is think too hard about this stuff. If you want to you can explain why Birdcage is so powerful, it's reasonable to assume that he created that thread from some kind of really strong substance and stored it for the use of birdcage, or that it is infused with Haki or something. But it really doesn't matter, it's a plot device. It doesn't mean that he's more powerful than Kaido or something. We aren't supposed to overthink it.
"Gear 4 is too powerful"
Gear 3 luffy also owned Rob Lucci, but it has limits just like all of his abilities.
"Fujitora blah blah blah"
He's a supporting character, why do some people want him to come in and save the day? Beside that it is clear that he has some knowledge of the special relationship that Doffy has with the WG, even if he doesn't know the specifics. He doesn't have the authority to interfere, which is why he's hoping that the pirates can take care of him on his behalf.
Honestly I think this arc has become just as epic as Alabasta, it is clearly supposed to mirror that arc in several ways. It will have huge ramifications for the rest of the OP world as well. I can't wait for it to be over, but that isn't because I'm not enjoying it but because I want to see where this story goes. The wait for 2 weeks is going to be lousy :(