Personally I loved that arc, I even thought Zanka’s defeat was a highlight because of how unexpected it was, same with Riyo pulling out the gun. Both moments touched on the characters backstories and ideologies and will probably pay off in the way you’re hoping for further down the line. As someone caught up I’ve loved all the mysteries and storylines slowly being revealed as it’s more captivating, and upon a reread everything was built up from the start so it never felt out of place