WOW! I knew Robin was getting a new VA, but I didn't even notice the difference last week, and I probably wouldn't have this week either if it hadn't been mentioned earlier. She's really good.

@arnab3k:

But that is not enough good stuff for a landmark of 300 episodes.

Yeah, those 100th episodes sure are of landmark importance. That's why the previous two have just been wherever they happened to fall. Heck, 200 was a filler ep…

@Franky:

i don't know..than how do you explain non-anime series? it doesnt seems like Lost producers for example are getting ass-broked because of the break.

Because we have a different system for the way we air things. Shows in seasons work here because we're used to it. Japanese audiences, have, like ADD, or something. Stuff that goes off the air generally doesn't come back, because by the time it does, the next big craze has caught on.

Ya'll do realize that the general number of chapters covered per episode has been more or less the same since, like, early Skypiea (or possibly even before that). It's just that some parts are harder to draw out than others. The raid on Ennies Lobby was hardly the most well paced part of the series even in the manga, so it's not an amazing surprise that things feel a little slow in the anime right now.

Considering Shanks talks just a bit later about being at Roger's execution, I'm chalking it up to Whitebeard just being nostalgiac for the good ol' days.

Per Ocean, I'm making another thread for this to make it easier to find. Spoiler tags still used just in case you see the logic of turning back now!

! Chapter 434: "Whitebeard and the Redhead"
Enel's Space Plot volume 5: "Preemptive Strike"
! Marine: The ships managed to break through! Whitebeard and the Redhead have made contact!
Marine: Who knows what could happen now! Put all ships on red alert until further notice!
! The scene changes. Shanks has arrived.
Captain, we'll take care of the Redhead!
Jess: C'mon, Redhead… [Whitebeard Pirate Fleet, 3rd Crew Captain, "Jess"]
Marco: Stay back kids, you won't have the stomach for this. [Whitebeard Pirate Fleet, 1st Crew Captain, "Marco"]
! Shanks' and Whitebeard's boats come together. With a gust of wind, the lower soldiers all collapse.
Marco: Awww…too late.
Shanks heads towards Marco and Jess.
! Jess: That guy can't ever seem to change his ways...he barely looks prepared for this. Still, it's amazing show of his "ambition".
! Whitebeard and Shanks get together.
! Shanks: Sorry, it seems some insignificant ship followed us. Nobody hurt on your side, though, right?
Whitebeard: Just looking at your face, the pain from those old wounds comes back to me.
Shanks: Well, I've brought a little cure for that. I'm not here to fight. I just want to talk about something.
Whitebeard: That's a hell of a thing to say when you've been flattening everyone with that "ambition" of yours since you got here, fool! Grarara! (he's laughing)
! Marco: Hey, Redhead, what the hell do you think you're doing!?
Shanks: Oh, if it isn't the 1st Crew Captain, Marco! Want to join my crew?
Marco: Shut up!
Jess: Old man, we can...
Whitebeard: Yeah, we're not trying to start a war. Leave the two of us alone.
! Whitebeard: Ale from West Blue, eh? Doesn't sound all that great...
Shanks: The world over, there's not another drink that can make your skin shine like this. It's straight from my home town, so give it a try!
! Whitebeard drinks.
! Whitebeard: Hey, not bad... ...Roger...Garp...Sengoku.......there aren't many people left who remember what the seas were like back then...
Shanks: It's been 22 years...that's the sort of thing that happens!
Whitebeard: You made quite a name for yourself, too, considering you were just some cabin boy for Gol D. Roger!
! Whitebeard: Being in so many battles on Roger's ship, not many made it out. Whatever happened to that kid with the big red nose you knew? He died too?
Shanks: Buggy? There's a nostalgiac name...we parted ways in Rogue Town when the captain was executed, and I never saw him again.
! Shanks: (Buggy, come join me!)
Buggy: (Who would want to be YOUR underling, stupid!)
! Shanks: The rumors say another new pirate is on his way...
Whitebeard: And what does that have to do with me? Most people's rumors are beneath my notice. Heck, I'm only just now hearing you had a duel with Hawk Eyes. When you came back from East Blue missing an arm, now that was a surprise. What sort of enemy managed that against you, anyway?
! Shanks: Oh, this? (Reminds me of Luffy...The "new age" really is on its way...)
Whitebeard: No need to push yourself into talking...
Shanks: Whitebeard, I've been through tons of battles, but the only legitimate injury I've ever received is the one that's hurting now: this scar! (he points at the scar on his left eye)
! Shanks: This wasn't just part of the adventure, this scarred eye I received from your man Teach.
Whitebeard: ....I was careless with him.
Shanks: Do you have any idea what I'm trying to say!? Whitebeard...he's been biding his time and waiting, to make a name for himself as captain, and he's been hiding behind your name!
! Shanks: ...And when he got what he needed, he made his move, and is aiming for the very top! Someday, you're going to find you've created your own worst enemy!
! Whitebeard: So what do you want me to do? That's what you came to talk about, right?
! Shanks: You have to stop Ace!
Whitebeard: !?
! Shanks: He's young, but you trusted him as the captain of your 2nd crew. I know perfectly well how strong he is...but right now, he himself is still relying on your own reputation. It's not time for those two to fight each other! Leave Blackbeard Teach alone for now! That's all I'm asking.
! Whitebeard: ...heheh...Grarararara! You talk big for a kid!
Shanks: ...
Whitebeard: He committed the gravest of all crimes on a pirate ship, he killed his comrades. He broken that golden rule. No matter how foolish they act, I think of everyone I let on my ship as my own son, and I will let the souls of my crew rest in peace!
! Whitebeard looks intimidating.
Whitebeard: He can go all around the world in order to escape, but I'll bring that fool Teach to justice of my own kind. That's my responsibility!
! Whitebeard: You get it, kid? You're 100 years to young to be giving ME orders!
Shanks: You won't listen to anyone, will you? People are so reckless these days... (Shanks draws his sword)
Whitebeard: You don't seem to fear me enough! I'm Whitebeard! (Whitebeard draws his sword)
! They charge each other and the clouds split in half.
! Beckman: ....! They're going at it!
Lucky Lou: This is war!?
Yasopp: You said you wouldn't....
! Crew: It's a storm! No, the sky is split in half!
! Scene changes to some island in the Grand Line
Teach: Hey, look, Straw Hat made the news again! Zehahaha! He's really something! He brought down the Judiciary Island! He's sure to be worth even MORE, now!
Auger: Hmm.
Lafitte: He must have used Water 7's famous Sea Train to get to Ennies Lobby....
Auger: That's not far from here. Shall we go meet our destiny?
Doc Q: For them to be so nearby...how sad...they really have no luck after all.
! Teach: Well, let's give them a proper greeting! Prepare to raise sails!
! Ace: Hey.
Teach: Wha?
! Ace: I've been waiting for you, Teach. I really had to search for you.
! (This week's chapter over)

@yokaiforte:

But is there any proof that they were pressured into changing the way they wanted it to end?

Not that I know of. My argument is more that there couldn't have been (as some people seem to claim), because they knew what they were getting into, regardless of the motivation for getting into it.

@Malintex_Terek:

No, I agree with Cyringohn in full; Ohba/Obata went to Jump with the full intention of getting as much exposure as possible; DN is highly unconventional for a Jump title, such that it shouldn't even be associated with Jump, so this sort of "alternate shounen" was in an excellent place to attract viewers (by contrast and through Jump's popularity and proliferation).

Most authors, especially not ones named J.K. Rowling, are willing to sacrifice a preferred storyline when salary is involved; while I do believe Ohba intended to finish the series in its serialized way (to an extent), I do not think the "time skip" arc was originally intended and was only the product of Jump pressures.

If Ohba chose to sacrifice an idea for the plot for higher exposure and bigger bucks, it doesn't really change the fact that her plans for the ending, in a general sense, still had to be the same from the beginning of the series. It's not right to say that the editors railroaded Ohba into their own idea of a specific ending. Since Ohba knew specifically what she was getting into when she started, for whatever reason, then it must also be assumed that she was satisfied with the deal she got.

@Cyringohn:

The fact that Death Note's editors purposefully directed the series in a direction that highlighted Light's failure, in an attempt to demonstrate an "Evil Never Triumphs, Kids." theme, ruins the ending completely.

That's not exactly right. You can't blame the editors for the way the series ends. This is Jump's policy for every series that runs in it, and if Ohba had been interested in a different ending, she would have taken the series somewhere else. It's not like the they sprang this on her later, the way the series ended was more or less intended from the beginning.

Ah, if that wasn't the most TOTALLY RANDOM CLIMAX EVER. I'd seen that picture, but I was thought that was some weird promo or the like. Never imagined that it actually happened.