People can shit on me for having Alabasta as my favorite arc, but it has a satisfying beginning, middle section, and a great climax and resolution. Alabasta rarely dragged, too, even in the anime. Fights got resolved fast and in fun ways.
Zoro vs the Whiskey Peak Mercenaries is SO MUCH BETTER PACED that whatever the FUCK Zoro vs King was. People who shit on early One Piece fights are nuts. Zoro was kicking over ladders, jumping across rooftops, diving into buildings to avoid gun-fire under the moonlight.
Shit was so much more interesting than: "IMA ATTACK YOU WITH MUH BIG DRAGON BECUZ I LOVE KAIDO-SAN."
"OH, YEAH? WELL I HAVE MAGIC MINK MEDICINE AND A PLOT-ARMOR SWORD MEANT TO KILL DRAGONS! HYAAAAAAA!"
I really hope the anime makes Zoro vs King and Sanji vs Queen better. Great fights, but the pacing kills me.