The biggest drawback to the "Haki has always been there" theory are the instances where it didn't happen.
Zeff was supposedly dropping hints about it but actual one-time New World pirates Crocodile and Moria didn't use it?
Why did CP9 train from childhood to use inferior versions of it?
Why was Blackbeard hurting Ace with the Darkness Fruit meant to be such a big deal, when it turns out it was actually pretty easy to hurt him?
And why did Blackbeard gamble his entire Pirate King dream on finding the Darkness Fruit when it's most notable feature is so easily replicated?

I think it's much more likely that Oda realised he needed another power set alongside Devil Fruits, and going back through his work, pulled together various unrelated (At the time) powers and feats and turned them into Haki as we know it today.

Oda definitely has a lot of the story at least roughly planned out, but some stuff was very much a later addition to problems that cropped up as the storyline stretched out with (IMO) Haki, Sabo and the Niku Fruit being the most obvious examples.

Not a great chapter.
Like people said in the spoiler thread, this seemed mostly about getting the Strawhats off the hook for failing to save Vegapunk, he planned to die all along but didn't know it because reasons, so it's not really their fault he's dead.
The whole chapter just feels so unnecessary, filling in gaps that didn't need filling and by doing so, creating more issues.

Given the contempt the Elders showed to Garland and their shock at him being a new Elder, it makes me wonder how the others were chosen.
Have they simply been Elders for so long they've forgotten they were Holy Knights once, or their positions were replaceable? Or do they normally get more of a say over new Elders, and they're rankled because they really don't like Garland and would've chosen someone else?

I hate it when stories make me think of things I'll never get the answer to.

Yay! The new short isn't region locked anymore!

And it was pretty good, gotta dig out my DVD and give the original show a rewatch now.

It's a shame they have so much trouble keeping their stuff in production though.
Recently I tried getting a copy of the City Hunter movie they put out like 2 or 3 years ago, nope gone.

I hope there is a S-Clown, Buggy being outclassed by a copy of himself has comedy potential.

Oh well, there goes democracy...

Congrats America, great job.

Good episode, but you've gotta feel sorry for Drake.
He helps Law escape when he's captured, defeats a Number, protects Chopper while he makes the Ice Oni antidote and keeps Apoo and CP0 occupied, and what's his reward?
Being left, badly injured, in the castle ruins with Hawkins corpse for company.

Glad the chapter made it clearer that Luffy just reminded Emeth of Joyboy and they don't actually look alike (Although I'm still expecting a strong resemblance between the two).

Seems like the secret to the Elders power is that they're drawing it from whatever the heck Imu is, going to make for an interesting fight for whoever goes up against them in the end.

And it's over!

While I have to agree, the anime really managed to up it's game this arc, overall I still think this was the weakest arc in One Piece so far and I'm glad we're moving on to other things now

Loving the return of 'Classic Robin', pity it'll probably be an Elbaph only thing.

Luffy immediately throwing a Gear Fourth jab at Loki, just for badmouthing Shanks once, seems a little out of character. Feels like we're missing a couple panels where Luffy warns him first but Loki won't keep his mouth shut.

Oh well, there goes democracy...

Congrats America, great job.

Yay! The new short isn't region locked anymore!

And it was pretty good, gotta dig out my DVD and give the original show a rewatch now.

Region locked, booooo!!!

@flandrian15 - I'll have to give the manga version a try.
I think I'm having trouble taking it seriously because so few of the characters are.

Apart from that one guy and his girlfriend, everyone seems completely unfazed by all the weird stuff that's going on around them.

I thought it was fine too.
My only complaint would be it's not the series I thought it would be. I'm enjoying it, but I've always heard this was some sort of horror masterpiece, but I'm just finding it way too goofy to consider it a horror series.

Yeah, totally understand that, just a bit of a pain in the bum that's all.
The old place I used to get my anime from would still let you place an order for Discotek stuff and then you just had to wait and see if/when they did another print run (I had an order for a bit of Lupin 3rd on hold for something like 18+ months), but Amazon isn't as cooperative!

I haven't been too keen on the start of this Elbaf arc, but this was a pretty good chapter with some old school One Piece vibes.

Luffy calling out Ussop on not defeating the cat by himself felt a little out of character, but if it leads somewhere I'm all for it, Oda doesn't seem to have known what to do with Ussop for years (I always thought it was a shame he dropped the Sogeking persona idea).

It's a shame they have so much trouble keeping their stuff in production though.
Recently I tried getting a copy of the City Hunter movie they put out like 2 or 3 years ago, nope gone.

Decent episode, could be my imagination but I think they tidied up the Elders Monster Form silhouettes, definitely seemed easier to make them out.

It's always going to be weird that Wapol just randomly saw the whole thing through a peephole though.