I don’t get the hate for this flashback tbh
I don't hate the flashback. In fact, I'm glad we're getting more Straw hat focus within one. Where the issue lies is in the fact that we already spent almost 20 chapters in the past, spanning 7 to 8 months, followed by around 12 chapters in the present timeline setting up the main events we’d been waiting for, only for us to jump back into another flashback. Much of Elbaf’s storytelling, emotional weight, character work, and narrative has been done in flashbacks rather than developing organically through the present timeline of the arc.
Due to how Oda has structured this arc, this is probably the best time to place the Brook flashback, because inserting it during the main fights would be horrible. So far, Elbaph has felt more like a backdrop for historical lore dumps and setup for future arcs than a fully realized arc with its own identity. It doesn’t feel like we’ve truly explored this legendary island to its fullest or deeply connected with its culture and people.
In my opinion, the setting has been heavily overshadowed by the larger global plot. This is an island that has carried great meaning for Usopp and Luffy for years, yet Oda has done little within the present timeline to fully justify that emotional significance through his writing for either character. At this point, we may even get a third major flashback when Luffy finally confronts Imu.