Drum Island had great moments :
- Luffy carrying Nami and Sanji on top of the mountain bleeding all over and asking to help his friends first.
- Luffy protecting Hiluluk's flag.
- Dolton repentance
- the ending
It was good all along.
Sure, but what does everyone default to when they mention Drum Island?
Chopper’s flashback. It stands far above everything else that happens that arc especially because of the length of the arc itself
You can’t say the same for Robin’s flashback in Enies Lobby or Nami’s flashback in Arlong Park. Those are defining moments in the arc but they don’t
make the arc. The Franky flashback in Water 7 is an even better example than both of those actually
That’s also why I mentioned hesitating on where I should place Dressrosa. Because Law’s flashback stands far above everything else that happens in the arc but it also has so many reveals and iconic moments that it lands somewhere in the middle
Drum Island without the hard hitting Chopper flashback is a cool arc but nothing special. The
flashback is what makes it one of the best arcs pre timeskip