@kouch_lee:
I'll have to agree with this, sadly. Too many questionable decisions on Oda's part to really make it as good as it should've been.
There are things that won't be easily forgotten and I think that, even a year from now, people will still recall as being pretty stupid overall (the dwarves not using he golden chance Robin gave them to sneak the Tatababasco on Sugar's grape basket as planned and instead trying to intimidate her for no reason, Usopp's cowardice bordering on sadist douchebagness, Robin getting toyfied with absolutely 0 development or importance coming out of it, Usopp's stand up against Trébol being 100% off-paneled, everything getting solved with a gag. . .). There was some good stuff (for example, Robin outsmarting Trébol, the build-up towards Toy Soldier being Kyros amidst scenes of him and the dwarves getting pummeled by Lao G, Trébol and Gladius, the too-damned-short but still pretty touching Kyros flashback), but overall definitely not very good.
Thankfully, this last chapter was damned good, and for the first time in what feels like a long while, I'm dead excited for next week, so I hope this is were the arc trully picks up and we go back to the great levels of fun and creativeness that Oda gave us with the Colosseum chapters, which are among the best post-time skip stuff, if not the best.
@bolded Agreed that's what led to their downfall, but you can't say it was out of character either, they spied on Sugar yeah but can you be sure she showed the moves that she revealed to them - seeing as that all she had to do was touch someone already restrained. Also them sneaking the tatabasco to the basket was Plan A actually which changed due to Trebol's amazing hand-eye coordination. Why they changed it afterwards? no idea but that basket was full of grapes which probably would take time so they probably went with force - why they revealed themselves though? well she's a kid but the dwarves are also not the brightest.
Usopp's cowardice bordering on sadist douchebagness
I don't want to do another Usopp rant honestly so I'll just leave this page here
! + Robin is there and Franky is supposed to come.
Robin getting toyfied with absolutely 0 development or importance coming out of it
Usopp's character growth doesn't count as development or important? Plus that scene was pretty sad but any addition to it would just feel unnecessary or well.. lame.. or out of context "I feel like a friend's missing from my memory, oh wait! it's not like we're not all busy doing something."
Usopp's stand up against Trébol being 100% off-paneled
Here we go again. It doesn't matter what Usopp did, his character growth and step forward to both his dreams are directly linked to Bravery which shows in the BEGINNING of a fight.
everything getting solved with a gag. . .
A gag but yet not a gag, very One Piece-like.
This is my theory about last week's chapter between Usopp and Sugar that fits his CoC (Color of Conqueror) foreshadowing. With him lying to the dwarves that he took down 50,000 fishman and the similarity to his victims foaming at the mouth and the CoC victims.
First off, to quote C.A. (from animesuki) a little bit on the definition of Haki: "The words Ha and Ki, meaning 'dominate' and 'air'. Together you can make out something like 'air of dominance/atmosphere of fear' or better phrased, 'Aura of dominance/supremacy' or 'Aura of fear/terror'."
In his fight in Thriller Bark, Perona also passed out with tears and foaming at the mouth. My theory is that this was both the result from the FEAR of the toy cockroaches which led to her screaming AND the SHOCK that was triggered when his "10 Ton" hammer hit her which was clear when she suddenly stopped making a sound. Usopp (or Oda) also emphasizes it afterwards: "I don't have any use for a Princess of a haunted mansion that loses consciousness from a 'balloon' and 'toy cockroaches'".
!
Now, as for the last chapter. Usopp and Sugar was screaming from the last page of last chapter. Sugar being the sadistic little girl that she is thought she would kill him with poison, she never expected him to "explode". With Usopp suddenly screaming his lungs out, which can trigger SHOCK and can actually cause a person to pass out - I'm guessing especially someone who stopped aging. Adding to that, Usopp made such a gross face which has been established that she HATES. Well for my theory of FEAR & SHOCK to work, she probably fears them or at least make her very uncomfortable. Her hate/fear resulted in her screaming - if you were ONLY shocked you wouldn't make a sound and just pass out. I think Usopp found the way/mixture to mimic the release of Haki, namely Color of Conqueror. I'm not saying it's absolute, but if it happens again I'll be certain.
Oh but I agree with everything else you said.