User blog comment:Kaido King of the Beasts/Chapter 756: A Beetle Ride to Destiny/@comment-24850639-20140809133540

I'd have to disagree with you on the plot development, but I see where you're coming from about none of the events we're REALLY hoping to see coming about yet. The thing it's easy to lose sight of is how many moving pieces there are in the arc for one, but also in the series as a whole.

These moving pieces:

King Riku, Viola, Usopp, Lepanto, & Hack/ Robin & Bartolomeo vs. Gladius/ Rebecca vs. Diamante/ Franky vs. Senor Pink (and SMILE Factory situation)/ Luffy, Law, Cavendish, & Kyros/ Bellamy/ Sugar being awake again/ Trebol's location/ Doflamingo's location and the birdcage/ Kinemon & Kanjuro/ Sabo vs. Fujitora/ Jesus Burgess/ Unaccounted for Vice Admirals/ Dressrosa Royal Guard/ Dressroa Citizens/ The rest of the Straw Hats/ Pekoms & Tamago/ Colosseum Army vs. Donquixote Family/ Unaccounted for Colosseum combatants/ Koala's investigation/ CP-0

Affect these moving pieces

Status of Shichibukai with World Government/ WG-Marine strategy against Revolutionaries (Sabo's relationship with Luffy)/ Doflamingo's downfall/ implications of Doflamingo's downfall/ Blackbeard Pirates activity/ SH Pirates possible new nakama/ Future of Dressrosa/ implications of Koala's findings/ the introduction of Kaido/ WG-Marine strategy against Law-Luffy alliance/ Big Mom attitude toward SH Pirates/ Status of Heart Pirates

So considering the pure weight of the Dressrosa arc and what it's conclusion is gonna mean for the rest of the OnePiece series, Oda's gonna stress every detail to an excruciating level. This of course means the slow moving chapters here and there, we know quite well that we can't expect EVERY chapter to be epic. I do wanna say though that I think I can see a shape of things to come, which is why I think there in fact was some progression. I can see Rebecca getting her ass handed to her, and Luffy's group showing up just in the nick of time to save her. I can see either Robin or Barto taking Gladius down for good. I can see Franky FINALLY getting serious against Pinky, and him and the Tontatta's fucking shit up. We all know Pica has an ass whooping coming to him, and we've known that for a while lol. If this makes sense, I think a lot of the unknown unknowns are starting to become known unknowns.