@Noqanky:
All members of the crew began training during the time skip with the mentality that they needed to be stronger for their crew. They can't always depend on Luffy to come and save them, they have to protect him and each other as well. Zoro even humiliated himself to Mihawk to become stronger for his captain (not for himself, and that means a lot coming from Zoro). Them being useless against a logia and having to wait for Luffy to save them would definitely be poor storytelling and it would undermine the TS training they did.
Completely agree. But just not having Haki (yet) doesn't mean that facing a Logia would make them completely useless or having to "wait for Luffy to save them", as you said. They've at least been able to start doing SOMETHING against Logia's so far, and while I agree that it will be different against the Admiral's, no one said that they WON'T learn it. Just that it would be somewhat lame, depending on how it is shown and introduced, if they could, already.
And Luffy's training is not undermined at all. Unlike the rest, Luffy has conqueror's haki and in his training not only was he able to really work on it, but he was also able to get a very good grip on all types of haki. He learned everything Rayleigh had to teach within a year and a half! I don't see how Zoro or Sanji being able to use one type of haki undermines the fact that Luffy developed all three ridiculously fast. I don't see why you think this is poor storytelling,
Sorry, but again - learning it is fine by me. Having learned it already is not.
the way I see it it's obvious storytelling to show that the crew can defend itself instead of needing the captain to do everything.
Who said they can't? Haki =/= certain protection, no Haki =/= complete uselessness and "needing the captain to do everything."
@Coruscation:
Juvar – What would you think of them having one color each, awakened through other means than the training Rayleigh gave Luffy? The doctor who spoke with Coby says that it is ordinarily brought out by training, as with Luffy, but can also be awakened through "shock". It's what happened to Coby, of course, but it also seems like it could be used as a plot device to give Luffy's right and left hand men Haki without diminishing Luffy's training, insanely fast growth and accumulated skill.
I wouldn't mind seeing it as follows:
Luffy – CoA, CoO and CotC, learned through intense training and used with a reasonably high level of mastery and awareness.
Zoro -- Color of Observation, reflexes and perception are crucial to a swordsman. Very "raw" usage compared to Luffy's, unless Mihawk helped out. Possibly he doesn't even know that what he's using is the power known as Haki.
Sanji -- Color of Armaments, suits his blunt force-based fighting style the most. Possibly used unconsciously, but likely also "raw".
See, this is exactly what I'm talking about - that would be FINE, as long as they haven't mastered it to a high degree yet and are not aware of it yet, LEARNING it in future is perfectly reasonable in my eyes. It is, however, still not NEEDED (as in NECESSARY). To be strong and venture through the New World, Haki is NOT a necessity.
If it happens as you say, then that falls perfectly in what I would approve of. But having mastered Haki (even just one of the colours) ALREADY would diminish Luffy's training and reason to become stronger, his beliefs, the necessity for the timeskip.