User blog comment:Imhungry4444/One Piece Chapter 696 Review/@comment-4904935-20130124041947/@comment-25485316-20130124055336

When did it drag? I understand the "run from Smiley" section, but other than that, Oda has developed the character of Brownbeard into a very likable character, given Nami and Chopper great development, Usopp too. Zoro when he gave Luffy the speech about the new world, and even Sanji and Luffy.

Mocha, one of the children was given one of the saddest scenes of the arc, and definitely developed. And Caesar was developed as a sadistic asshole.

You must have gotten too used to the "Saving Ace Formula" where the manga moved at a very fast pace, but if you go to the chapters before Amazon Lily, everything is pretty much just like this.