User blog comment:Yatanogarasu/Theory on Longer Episodes/@comment-1595565-20110117194451

It's also this way because of the unique situation the Strawhats are in. Before, when they were just going from island to island, the writers had a lot more wiggle room to make filler arcs. Now, the (anime) story is so focused on Luffy that they have no way of actually making a whole arc like the Ice Hunter arc or the Loguetown filler. That's why Marineford is taking so long, since they're extending it, trying to draw it out and introducing new characters like Kibin and Yukimura. What you're saying is absolutely true, and I'm glad for the lack of overall filler, but there are other reasons to attribute to it.