I’m more or less ok with this plot, and ok it’s being drawn out. There are other plot lines that are much worse the author could have gone down. At least this isn’t just “nothing is happening” like what a lot of manga devolve into.
But the pacing is rough. This series is kind of known for fun situations, and lots and lots of characters and cultures. Seeing how they all interact and grow. So having this type of story beat isn’t natural to the series and feels “off” even when it’s being handled fine.
As an example, picture this story arc in “Mairimashita! Iruma-kun”. An arc in that series, drawn out and slow, about Iruma having to re-learn everything very quickly and his friends/foes all helping him get through a smuggling across the world could be VERY cool. But only because that series is built for this type of storyline.