User blog comment:Pandawarrior/Predictability/@comment-1595565-20110112062623

Yes, it is a bit predictable, but the exciting part is seeing how the two different styles will fair and react to each other. It's sort of like chemistry, you don't know how they will react to each other until they're paired up. Oda chooses matchups that best complement the characters' fighting styles. Yes, Zoro will probably fight Shiliew, but we don't know where that fight is going to take us. It could be over in a single strike, or it could destroy several islands in the process. There's a beginning point and an end point that are predictable, but the stuff that happens in between them is the fun part.