>>281786025
>but the problem is Oda has constitently shown he can't stop overindulging when it comes to flashbacks
This. The problem isn't flashbacks, the problem is flashbacks just keep going. And worse, the flashbacks are often more interesting than the actual current day shit going on in the arc to the point it feels like that's what Oda actually cares about writing rather than the current shit, so no matter how much people cry pic related when the flashback is going on, every time they go back it inevitably makes everyone go "oh right...can we leave the fireworks factory?"