This book really surprised me, as the first half I thought was ok, but it has a FANTASTIC second half.
The backstories told in this book are just incredible. We get both Chef Zeff and Sanji's backstory, which is quite dark yet touching, and we also get Nami, Nojiko, and Belle-Mere's backstory, which is also just so tragic. That's probably Eiichiro Oda's greatest strength is writing the quiet moments of backstory that are just so endearing and really flesh out the characters well.
I didn't care for the overall story in the beginning, which features the battle for the Baratie, which just kept going and going and going, and really could have stopped WAY earlier. The backstory was fantastic, but the actual battle was just so stinking long!
But the second half of the book more than makes up for it. The Arlong Pirate story is just so engaging, and I was on the edge of my seat for the entire second half of the book. And the cliffhanger at the end is just perfect timing, as it really makes me want to pick up the next omnibus right now.
As usual, there's some great humor throuhgout the book, including the "Buggy's Crew" page, which is always delightful.
Overall, an 8 out of 10. Really solid second half that more than makes up for a mediocre first half.