Random post to say that I just finished reading the Paramount War arc for the first time.
I've enjoyed One Piece for several years, just casually watching along when my gf watched the anime (I think we started dating around the time that was Punk Hazard story was airing), and I had read the first few volumes of the manga ages go (up to when they meet Usopp). In the last year, though, I found myself really getting an especially large kick out of OP, and I decided to sit down and read the major old story arcs. That was a great decision. Jesus. What a ride it's been. What a sense of scale, what a skill for creating memorable characters, what a great sense of action. I've loved every page of it all.
The Paramount War was my most recent read. I'm not sure if this arc hits quite the same highs as Water 7/Enies Lobby for me - the crew is absent for so much of it, and the crew's interaction is the main reason I enjoy this story so much - but there's no doubt that it was absolutely epic and heart-stopping and filled with unforgettable moments. Luffy punching out the Celestial Dragon has got to be one of my favorite comic/manga scenes ever. It's so simple, but I just love the way that Oda has Luffy cut through the crap and do whatever he wants.
There are also so many new characters introduced here. Completely awesome. I only knew Law as a sort-of-good-guy from watching the tail end of the Dressrosa arc and the stuff since then, so I was a bit surprised to see that he was introduced in a way that was almost...sinister? Not exactly villain-ish, but there's an air about him that was creepier than the Law we see today, or at least, that was my impression. I'd really like to see more of Killer, just for his design alone and to see his powers, but as far as I've seen, he hasn't come up again in the story (?).
Anyway, I really enjoyed this arc. From arriving at Sabaody to Luffy leaving his hat behind as he runs off to train with Rayleigh...talk about firing on all cylinders, creatively. I mean, god damn. Oda da God.