One Piece Episode 446

[Assertn]

I was under the impression that the whole reason that Luffy freeing up these former characters of increasing strength on his way down was so that, on his way out, his escape crew would be ordered by strength just like his normal crew, and each character would end up facing a different member of the staff that is the appropriate strength. Just like ever other One Piece arc ever.

You mean just like the pre-grandline arcs, which were so cookie-cutter it was painful.