User blog comment:WhitzellBlood/One Piece Observations/@comment-1595565-20101027035439

The new character's pasts help us understand why the characters are the way they are. The arc that focuses on that one character helps develop that one character. That's what I like about it. It's more personal when Oda takes the time to explain the background of an individual character. If he took every arc to further develop each already developed character, those characters would become too complex. If Zoro was developed every arc, his personality and character would be too elaborate and complicated and would be hard to follow, which could make some people lose interest. It's good that Oda takes it one thing at a time like that.