Oda has been sadly going backwards with the way he treats women. It started relatively early, but it exploded post time skip, with the skimpy clothing, the cleveage close ups, sexy mermaids, etc…It's actually so weird that the arc where he went full social issues, Fishman Island, teaching kids stuff about racism, inherited hate, equality, etc. . .featured the most blatant sidelining and sexualizing of his female cast to date, giving every single male character a fight + double spread finish...except Nami and Robin. Hard not to notice this kind of stuff when it hits you right in the face. As of now, it's easily his number 1 weakest and most regrettable aspect as an author.
I'm also worried about Big Mom. Someone said "what if Big Mom has gotten where she is entirely because of her business building ways and not because she has actual strength, seeing the way she arranges marriages tying her daughters to powerful families?" and that should be totally out of the question...but. There's that feeling things can get ugly in the worst possible manner.
Of course, seeing how guys like Capone or Pekoms follow her around should tell us she herself is a powerful being; these guys, which should be full of ambition, at least Capone, should never allow to be ruled with only political power and/or influence, and Pekoms and Tamago seemed genuinely terrified at the idea of pissing her off even slightly.
Even uber sexualized Hancock with her Heart Shaped Powers of Sexiness and Lust is shown to be a physical powerhouse, stopping Smoker dead in his tracks with a single kick and destroying Pacifistas left and right (I know they didn't fight back, I'm talking about the actual feat of one shotting beings that, at that point in time, we saw how they tanked the combined efforts of the entire Straw Hat crew throwing everything and the kitchen sink at them). It also gives me slight hope how pretty recently we saw Oda treated Tsuru with certain reverence and respect, even when she too was given the Mighty Power of Laundry Kung Fu. Seeing Doflamingo freak out while sighting her during the flashback, being called a legend by Bartolomeo and Usopp, and her being the one to keep and eye on defeated Doffy gave her a bit more weight as a character demanding to be taken seriously.
Big Mom should, by all accounts, be in that league, treatment wise. I'm expecting a weird power, probably eeven a "girl thingie" power, like "I turn things to sweets because girls like sweet things" BUT, even then, be given a big enough amount of strength outside her fruit, like Hancock or her sisters. We shouldn't even question that. The fact I even questioned it, well, it worries me.
Also, many things are against a full frontal confrontation with her: too small a force to take out her entire army. Kaidou being so apparently imminent draws too much attention to his figure. Lola's vivre card still hasn't come into play, and honestly, this late in the game, not many "important pirates of the New World" are left to play that card. That should lessen any potential confrontation with her, or at least stop a started confrontation. In the current conflict, she is put in the same threat level as the Vinsmokes, so she wouldn't be a fully functional end of arc villain. Etc. . .
Post Kaidou? It seems Kaidou will be the main event of a loooooooong saga, seeing how Kidd, Hawkins, Apoo, Killer AND Drake seem to be involved, Wano, the minks, Marco, the Shogun, a flashback with Oden. . .after that potentially exhausting saga, going back to Big Mom after snatching Sanji away from her...I don't know. Hard to see how Oda could bring her back to the spotlight and make her seem every bit as threatening as what he!s building with Kaidou.
Bottom line + tl;dr--> lower expectations accordingly towards anything resembling a fully functional confrontation with Big Mom including a violent fist fight with Luffy. Relocate hype to her island, lore, family, the Sanji conflict, the Pekoms conflict, the Vinsmokes and showing her strength and power in a decently satisfying manner BEFORE the inevitable insert reason to stop the fighting occurs. Which I guess should be plenty. I know I'm hyped, so it IS possible.
@Mr.:
What I look forward to most regarding Nami aside from fighting a formidable foe is that the upcoming arc should be a great use of her sometimes neglected cat-burglar and con-artist skills. Naturally, Luffy will find some way to screw it up, but I expect her to have quite a bit of panel time. The last arc to entirely take advantage of this was, oddly enough, the Davy Back Fight.
And some fun gags, but there's no doubt the arc will deliver on that front.
Fishman Island already mentioned, she also stole Kumadori's key during Ennies Lobby.
