As a matter of elevating One Piece in the subconscious of mainstream audiences, absolutely.
That, and COVID lockdowns providing ample time and opportunity for people to catch up.
The entire purpose of anime is to onboard mainstream audiences and boost sales.
One Piece hit critical mass and exploded because of the production quality behind the Wano Arc.
It doesn't matter if you find the arc mid or worse as a whole (like I do), the anime adaptation clearly captured the imagination of audiences.