I was in shambles watching this conversation between Nami and Usopp because they are one of the two duos I expected to see the most this season. Unlike the manga, where every relationship is more subtle, opla has opted for more direct and heartfelt conversations between characters that really establish the type of relationship between them. Like Zoro and Nami drinking their traumas away in season 1, Nami and Usopp talking about remembering where they come from and how far they're going to go here and later in the season; and more, but we'll talk about them later.

It wouldn’t make sense to wait that long to start showing the first hints of the Revolutionary Army or characters like Bartolomeo, or to avoid planting seeds about things like Laugh Valley, because these are crucial elements for the core plot of the story. And a TV series isn’t a manga or an anime that can run for a thousand episodes, it’s a different format with a different narrative style.

The people complaining about this clearly have no idea how these things work. We can talk about obvious flaws like the pacing sometimes, or details that are relevant for certain characters (like emphasizing why Zoro is triggered by Tashigi), but setting up certain important plot points for future seasons is a logical and smart decision.