Just popping in again to comment on what a milestone chapter this is.
I mean holy shit folks, do you realize what we learned in this chapter? Oda just revealed his game plan for the next several YEARS.
Oda has had this idea in his head for at LEAST 2 years now. At the end of EL when we saw the events on Banaro Island, they were indeed the trigger for the 'massive event' that we're going to see unfold when Ace is sent to be executed in one week. Now, given the relatively short time-span of OP and how Oda could handle events, Ace's execution could have been something he planned much later in the series at an entirely different location. Either that or his 'war' could have transpired at an entirely different location. But we have a date and a place. And it just so happens that our crew has been 'delayed' to some degree in order to impede their progress. Now, I can't say for sure whether this gigantic event will transpire after or before they cross Red Line, but either way, they are going to be involved whether they like it or not, and it's going to be fantastic. It would seem that WB is unlikely to just throw away The Moby Dick and go tromping to the other side so he'll probably be seen AFTER the crew passes through Fishman Island which, according to OP logic, would be the perfect time for the crew to gather, have a small adventure down below, and then emerge smack in the middle of the SHITSTORM bound to be on the other side. I have no idea how it will all go down, but this is Oda's idea. He just told us in size fuck-me-big-font "THIS IS WHAT I WANT TO DO" and I'm blown away by the sheer scale of this story. Seriously folks, I wasn't kidding when I suggested earlier entire series don't manage to build up an idea as ambitious as this by their finale, but yet here we are in the MIDDLE of the story. It's unreal. The ideas that he has stewing in his brain must be overflowing ready to come out and amaze us all.
AND JESUS CHRIST! On top of this we get the first hint that Haki will be something Luffy can harness ALREADY?!
Folks…this is remarkable.