I think that much of the frustation that comes from this chapter is due to a misinterpretation of what the point of the chapter was.
The objective of the chapter was not to make us feel sorry for Oden, but the exact oposite. And that is exactly the reaction of the citizens of Wano and also his allies. Oden’s actions are illogical, his behavior is uncharacteristic. Oden’s friends, in the same way that we do, think that there’s a better way to act in that situation. The thing is, that’s Oda’s intention. He is setting a plot twist.
Nothing in this chapter should be used to try to understand Oden’s actions, because everything was put there to mislead us. It’s pointless to ponder if it was good deal to dance for 5 years in exchange for a “boat”.
It’s pointless to wonder why Oden trusted Orochi. Things will only make sense in the conclusion, in the cathartic execution of Kozuki Oden. If we think about it, what a better way to make a death impactful then to make the readers unfairly hate the character just a chapter before?
In conclusion, things will make sense in the end. We just have to wait a few days.
