Yes, I definitely miss this Luffy. Too often he's a fool who only wants to eat or pursue his own selfish goals. Too rarely does he act like a mature man. :X
And then there's the many emotions you're talking about. Every time I think about this arc, I hear sad songs from the OP soundtrack and see scenes with Chopper.
Yesss... Chopper's indeed unforgettable in this arc, and definitely it's a rollercoaster of emotions that I felt while watching it. Luffy's still funny, but his pre-time skip goofiness still hits differently.