@RomanceDawn:
Oh come on. Laziness and filler? There isn't much different here than what we saw right after Crocodile's defeat. Check out chapter 210. Just because you can't appreciate or don't like what is shown doesn't mean it's laziness and filler. The post arc exposition will be off the charts in no time at all. Just keep your pants on.
@Galaxy:
The same goes for Chapter 299 (after Enel's defeat).
But I guess since most people read both of those all at once, they didn't have a problem with it. It's exactly the same execution though, and will work just fine in bulk.
Gonna be the stick in the mud here in that while I do think the pacing of this chapter, 791, will be better in bulk, and that the pacing of the above quoted chapters do have a similar vibe to them, there's magic touches to them that make the chapters distinct.
RomanceDawn, the chapter you quoted has Rain falling on Alabasta and Vivi finally reaching the voice of the people which means she can FINALLY explain the situation (though it doesn't happen until next chapter).
Galaxy 9000, that example's closer to this chapter than the Alabasta example personally, but even that chapter brought it all the way back to the beginning of Jaya showing Luffy's giant shadow (even if the explanation for what the giant shadows were was explained already beforehand), and it gave a look at Cricket and everyone listening to the bell.
This chapter has the Birdcage going away, which admittedly is a pretty big moment (though I guess nostalgia's playing a big factor in it lacking the impact that the above examples have, seriously you all should have gone for an Enies Lobby/Thriller Bark/post time skip example). And then we see Riku, Rebecca, Gatz, and Kyros cry. Now I should probably reread the arc, but if a big theme of this arc was the Riku family holding back emotions then, yeah, that'd be a pretty big deal (though given the arc's overloaded I dunno if it would hit as well even with a reread). Okay, admittedly tired since I overlooked the line this chapter about the toys not being able to cry (though I do think Kyros crying was the aspect of the chapter that hit the best). And I should let that moment sink in more. But iono. Personally this chapter lacks oomphs, plot progression, or any big revelations that your examples had in their chapters. This metaphor's all about freedom but the imagery is being "locked" in a birdcage. Well, thinking about it now, I guess the town being destroyed can be considered a metaphor for the confined space Doflamingo created was destroyed too. I guess it's really a question of how much of the town changed from Doflamingo's actions, and by change I mean physical environment. The factory's gone, but I forgot if the tower or coliseum were physically changed from the Doflamingo family from Pica's fruit or the like.
–- Update From New Post Merge ---
I will say Gatz making the final commentary on the final battle does bring it full circle to the tournament at the beginning of the arc, so there's that.
Nothing exists; even if something exists, nothing can be known about it. Even if something can be known about it,
Ararararrarararaarraararararar.