Alabasta vs Water 7

[SSJ2]

Which arc did you enjoy more? Water 7 encompasses Enies lobby/Cp9, no further. Alabasta starts from Whiskey Peak.

 

[sei'taer]

My two favorite arcs in one piece. Alabasta probably.

 

[Captain Cadaver]

Alabasta by far since it didn't have any power ups as contrived as what the Monster Trio got at Enies Lobby, didn't have Usopp's character regressing after going through significant development and Pell's plot armouring was still more tolerable than a ship willing itself to save the main cast.

 

[Kyo]

Water 7 had higher highs and lower lows

 

[SSJ2]

Water 7 had higher highs and lower lows

That's a good way of putting it. Which would you have above the other then? Alabaster due to consistency?

 

[Kyo]

Maybe, but I ultimately had more fun with Water 7 and remember it more fondly as a result

 

[Papasmurf]

Water 7 was more exciting but the plot contrivances after Robin was kidnapped, the dumb long flashback of Robin's in general and whatnot were terrible.

 

[Flame]

Water 7 Saga for me.

 

[Fantastische Hure]

Which arc did you enjoy more? Water 7 encompasses Enies lobby/Cp9, no further. Alabasta starts from Whiskey Peak.

Alabasta starts as soon as they get on the Grand-Line I'd say. They did meet Vivi on Reverse Island after-all.

 

[Captain Cadaver]

Alabasta starts as soon as they get on the Grand-Line I'd say. They did meet Vivi on Reverse Island after-all.

It's more accurate to classify that as the Baroque Works Arc/Saga, since they don't get to Alabasta until far later and that plotline takes a back seat on some of the events leading up to it (eg. Drum Kingdom), but that may be being pedantic when it comes to classifications.

 

[Fantastische Hure]

Alabasta starts as soon as they get on the Grand-Line I'd say. They did meet Vivi on Reverse Island after-all.

It's more accurate to classify that as the Baroque Works Arc/Saga, since they don't get to Alabasta until far later and that plotline takes a back seat on some of the events leading up to it (eg. Drum Kingdom), but that may be being pedantic when it comes to classifications.

I think Alabasta Saga is perfect. The whole story does revolve around Alabasta after-all, even if they don't get there until 50 chapters or so down the line.

 

[Captain Cadaver]

Drum Kingdom hardly revolved around the Alabasta plot at all tho'.

 

[Fantastische Hure]

Yeah, not so much but still it was a little detour that they had to make since Nami was falling sick besides Nami kept saying how much they had to hurry to Alabasta.

And Chopper came because of that.

 

[Yoshi]

The Baroque Works and Skypiea Sagas are both superior to CP9 in my opinion. CP9 is still the third best Saga in the series, however.

 

[Warmmedown]

CP9's fights were relatively boring (still good, when added to the backstory). Whiskey/Arabasta had a great range of powers. Water 7 did have more intense emotional peaks (Usopp vs Luffy, Franky's backstory, Going Merry). Water 7 was more mysterious (Franky, Iceberg stuff) and had more interesting characters. Water 7 had more characters I desperately wanted to see get fucked up (fucking Spandam, Lucci, Jabara) than Arabasta (just Crocodile). CP9 was more of a mindfuck (even though I liked the political twists of Arabasta) and was kinda spooky. Hiluluk and Tom are the best backstories in OP for me. Water 7 was probably funnier. Water 7/CP9 had a bunch of epic moments that got my heart going (eg walk to Franky House, gattling gun, Luffy/Zoro freeing themselves from the buildings, maybe Luffy using 2nd gear the first time), Arabasta had one (Gomu Storm) but mostly it just had cool moments (eg Ace's powers and Zoro vs candleotoko). Both had the SHs getting fucked up, with Luffy completely losing to and nearly being killed by Crocodile being the bigger WTF moments. Luffy beating Crocodile was more inspiring. Water 7/CP9 peaked early, then fell off a little, then peaked again (End of Lucci-Luffy, Buster Call, Sogeking, Merry's death), whereas Arabasta was a perfect build to a crescendo.

Going Merry turning up on its own was a great moment. They already set it up in Skypeia (favourite pre-Marineford standalone arc, at the time. Fight me) and earlier in Water 7.

tldr don't know. Was gonna say Water 7, but now I'll say Arabasta.

 

[Fantastische Hure]

Stand-alone arc? You mean like Island-by-Island? Even if so, Skypiea isn't that good. Arlong-Park blows it away.

 

[Warmmedown]

Skypeia was way more enjoyable for me. Top 4 arc (Arabasta, Marineford, Water 7, Skypeia). If you disagree the South Bird should fly you somewhere far away. Don't get why it's so unpopular.

 

[Warmmedown]

I thought Thriller Bark was a great arc too btw. I know that one's unpopular too.

 

[Fantastische Hure]

Skypiea had an, in my opinion at-least (I think), down-grade in villain from Alabasta & it felt like filler. Everything happened in the sky. There was some stuff though, like Gol D. Roger poneglyph, but that was toward the end. I did like the end though. Luffy vs God Enel was just too what-ever.

 

[Warmmedown]

I see a lot of people say it was like filler because it was so separate from everything else. I liked that almost all of it was contained in one arc (a little in Jaya too) and I think it's good if there are parts that don't link directly to the entire plot, since that's more like real life.

It was the funniest arc (South Bird stuff, Luffy's song and Usopp freaking out in the mini boat when it goes off the cliff), we got to see everyone helpless and utterly defeated, Enel's powers were inventive compared to other electrical characters, Wiper was a badass, it had the biggest sense of exploration of any pre-skip arc, I liked the religion/land rights themes and Norland-Caligula is one of my favourite backstories.