@Crossword:
Let's be real, the source material producing roughly 20% less content per year over the last two-and-a-half years than normal absolutely will have an effect on the anime.
On the anime as a whole, no doubt. Less material usually leads to more filler, at least normally that's how it goes on a continuous series like this. Also, the quality of the content itself no doubt reflects on the show. I understand where some are coming from in that sense.
I was talking about the episodes individually, in which case if they had to cover only this amount of content it could have had a better use of filler to make stretching less noticeable. There were a couple good efforts in this episode like visualizing Zoro's plans, but at least there could have been some additional material for Pica so his long trek to the plateau didn't take so long, like and additional skirmish between him and Sai and the gladiators or even a futile effort by Kyros before he decides to take out King Riku.
Either that or include a quasi-filler episode in the middle there sort of like they did with Giolla and the crew. The island is so littered with characters, surely they could manage a few every now and then. Probably not once Luffy vs Doflamingo gets rolling, but taking a momentary narrative detour can be beneficial overall.
Some of the annual breaks are mandated holidays that are otherwise unavoidable and one or two health related. But he has the privilege by the publisher to take them for a little R&R and on that basis I can't really say it's his fault the show can't better manage the amount of content they are given to adapt.
@Cyclone_Baroness:
I really hope that Zoro's two minutes thing was more like the phrase "give me two secs" like if you're in the middle of thinking or doing something. And not a literal two minutes! Pica was already in striking distance!
Oooh, yeah. That seemed a bit too long given Pica was already standing right above his target. Maybe he counts on him spending that time cracking his knuckles? I agree, let's hope he wasn't being literal.