We've been through this before. Have we been through this before? So what if we've been through this before? (guess the character(s) reference and earn a cookie).
I get the complaints, and even share some of them to a certain extent. One Piece is still my favorite series though, and I just admire how Fair Oda plays his game, how he laid the whole deck of cards on the table and said "this is what's left. Take a good look at it". To the point that, as soon as he deviates a bit from what we expected (Caesar Clown being such an important guy for both marines and underworld brokers coming fully foreshadow-free), everyone runs to call him on that. But he plays it fair and square. Just that deserves my full atention and respect.
That means he's now a slave of an absolutely manic schedule consisting of some measly HUNDRED or so characters that are waiting in line for their promised or expected re-appearance, revealing both new and foreshadowed plot elements, visit the islands he's promised or get his house burnt down by angry fans (Wano, Elbaf), fucking introduce such small and unimportant players as Big Mom, Kaidou, Ryokugyu and the 7th Shichi, lengthy world affecting backstories, 10+ dreams being fullfilled, the One Piece, the final war. . .all of that in LESS than a decade. Oda himself said he's as far as he'll go. Cause, let's face it. Oda is growing older. He has a family. Two daughters. Sleeps 4 hours a day. Has had two surgical operations with its consequent 2 week stay at a hospital in two years. He loves this manga, he's proven it too many times to trully count them, but he wants to end it before he's an old man. Respect.
If the accelerated pace, jumping around and Flanderization of the crew after 750 chapters is what it takes to put this series on the dump with other notorious examples I'm not gonna reference in here, good for you. And, yes, I've seen plenty do that.
Better get used to the decrease in adventure and exploration and SH's interactions and camp nights and country-scaled full layouts coupled with long exposition dumps of info about their culture, habits and typical dish and special holidays. Or. . .leave the series for a (long) while and come back to it by New Year, or next summer, or wathever. There's plenty of other good manga that are blowing their load right now chapter after chapter to great results (Seven Deadly Sins, Toriko).
Also, it seems everything is name-dropping and big picture pandering. Yet it seems to be Oda is actually trying his best to add one or MORE unique, specific emotional cores in all of his arcs, try and develop them and add dramatic depth to them (rushed as they might individually be, the Riku's alone got THREE separate flashbacks during this arc. Three.), and give em their respective gravitas and pay-offs when needed. To better or worse results. But he's doing it. Either you enjoyed the kids, the Ryugu Family or the Rikus and Dwarves scenarios, they're there, they're given ample screen time, and they're played with dramatic intentions in Oda's head. If they all FAILED MISERABLY as it seems to be the general consensus, then it means Oda has lost his writing mojo and it's a completely different thingie alltogether and has nothing to do with failing to add adventuring and camp fire nights in his arcs.
And last but not least, stop dumping Dressrosa's pacing with Punk Hazard's pacing like they're one and the same and have the exact same issues. They have nothing in common. Nothing. Like. . .nothing. Seriously. Nothing.