It seems to me that after Oda started trying to please some of the desires of the fans, at some point he missed the thread, got lost. And now, with all his desire to catch the old vibe and bring the story back to its intended course, he can no longer do it. An overly tangled thread is easier to reverse than to untangle. I just don't feel like Oda enjoys what he's doing himself. It's like he's asking himself, "Would the old me like it?" and he gives himself answers based not on real emotions, but on emotions that he is trying to remember.