Thought the One Piece manga was overrated until I read the Water 7 arc last month
I used to tell my brother in Denver that 1000+ chapters was just too much to commit to, but he handed me volume 34 and I finished it in two sittings. Anyone else get completely turned around on a series they swore off?
The "two sittings" part is what gets me, because that's exactly how it hooks people. Water 7 works because it turns a fun pirate crew story into a real gut punch, with the crew falling apart and Usopp leaving, and once you hit that you can't just stop. It's the same reason your brother handed you volume 34 instead of chapter 1, since one strong arc can flip your whole view of a series you wrote off. Did you keep going past Enies Lobby or did you stop after that arc wrapped?