@.access:
And in all those cases we were bound to eventually get flashbacks showing that happened in those places. And those flashbacks would normally come in the climax of those arcs, killing the momentum. The way things are being done in Zou, once things start there will be no flashback to hold them back, not to mention this way feel a lot more… organic I guess. Try to think about it this way.
Wait, are you talking about the character flashbacks? Well, I guess they can be considered to stop the momentum, but theres absolutely no way they could be put anywhere else. Stuff like Chopper/Noland/Laws flashback are put near the climax because they carry "emotional momentum", to build up your desire to see the villain beaten to the max, before the final fight. Regardless, I'd argue that having exposition/explanatory flashbacks to slow the momentum once the arc has gotten rolling is preferable to having it at the start, giving you no momentum. The first act is the one thats supposed to grab your attention and launch you into something exciting, thats where you put Ace/Enel and his priests hunting that random pirate/Merrys Death sentence and Robin deserting/the Punk hazard dragon etc.
I guess its down to semantics, but exposition alongside exploration has always felt the most organic to me, in terms of my reading experience
–- Update From New Post Merge ---
@S.C.:
Like what? They've been listening to this story for three measly chapters.
The straw hats have been almost entirely passive from Luffys encounter with the guardians in 805 and onwards. From then they've been moved to the fort and continually talked at.
@S.C.:
Be a bit jarring if Luffy suddenly stopped to go work off some steam by fighting the guardians or something.
The story could've been written differently, so as to have some more active developments concurrently with the exposition. Like, Luffy, Zoro and Franky have gone ahead to look for Raizou, and are shouting for him in the woods near the Guardians. Or theres been established a lingering presence of Jacks cronies, muttering about his return. Or maybe the rest of the crew are kept a long way away, and Wanda exposited while they were traveling and gradually overcoming some hazards or challenges, maybe as a result of Jacks destruction.
This might all be my burning desire to see more Straw Hat adventuring after so long, but then again, they are the main characters-each capable of carrying a series, by Odas words- and they deserve their spotlight, as they're the whole reason I'm reading this manga. I get that after +800 chapters its hard to think up new beats and interactions for the same characters, and a whole lot easier to just whip up fresh characters with whatever personalities and designs you desire…
But the first half of Punk Hazard is just so flipping good you guys. I might've come down a bit hard on the second half, but the first big chunk has some truly standout crewmember scenes. Its the series in top form, and for that reason I can't help but hope Zou can recapture some of that.