I would like to see a conflict in the crew , Water 7 is my favorite arc because the bond between the SH was put to the test. Would love to see something like that again but with bigger repercussions.
But I doubt it will happen. =\
You should doubt that because that was kind of the POINT of Water7 if you ask me.
Oda needed to have a storyline, and before the midpoint of the arc, before the crew was truly established as a big upcoming player….where their whole unit was really tested.
Basically he needed to give them at some point an existential crisis. So we had two crew members whose membership was severed for a time, and we had their whole home, the Merry, given a report of boat cancer. And then had them have to grapple with that.
Thinking of it this way.
East Blue: The Foundations of the Crew are laid.
Baroque Works: The Crew first establishes itself as a real deal pirate crew.
Foxy/Water7/Enies Lobby: Existential Crisis leading to an event that makes them major upcoming players.
That was a hurdle he had to throw them at some point, to prove that they were a strong unit that couldn't be broken by internal crisis. And because that's the point, from a narrative perspective it shouldn't happened again.
For the same reason we shouldn't really have a story again like Shabondy where the crew is symbolically killed off, showing they're in over their heads.
The point of Water7 was them overcoming and proving themselves stronger than internal fractures, just like Shabondy lead to the time-skip which should mean they are truly prepared for the strongest seas.
I wouldn't be too let down by this though, because Oda's got other dramatic tricks up his sleeve no doubt. After all, if I'm right and Shanks and his crew get killed off? That's a pretty huge moment. When your mentor/idol/role model is gone and you have to face the big cold rough world alone? Real coming of age moment for Luffy ahead. Usopp too what with the whole father thing.
Y'know, like in all the great quests?