Wano Country is one of the most important places in theOne Pieceworld and holds great significance to the overarching plot of the story. Being name-dropped as early as the Thriller Bark arc, it was always going to be a country of huge significance, especially considering the fact that this place wasdescribed to be the land of the Samurai. Thriller Bark introduced fans to characters such as Ryuma, Oars, and Gecko Moria, all of which were deeply tied to the land of Wano, which fans got to experience properly after the timeskip ofOne Piece.
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Following the Straw Hat Pirates' arrival in the New World, everything that they did had been building up to this arc of great importance. As with most historical places inOne Piece,Wano also held great significancewhen it comes to revealing the true history of the world and uncovering the secrets of the Void Century.One Piecechapter 1055 finally gave the fans a lot more information on the true Wano Country of the old and its actual history.
The Wano Country Of The Past
When theStraw Hat Pirates entered the land of Wano, it was quite clear that the geography of the place was rather strange. While in a world as diverse and rich as that ofOne Pieceit shouldn’t really be a surprise, it shocked the crew nonetheless. Nami mentioned the presence of a barrier around the country, along with a waterfall that giant carp had to climb to get into the country. At the same time, Sanji mentioned freshwater running from the top of the waterfall as that’s the only way Koi fish would swim in there. To make things more interesting, the country of Wano itself is made of several islands, all of which experience different seasons. Ringo, for example, is a winter island, while Hakumai seems to be perpetually in autumn. Quite clearly, the weather and seasons of Wano Country differ drastically.
InOne Piece1055, fans finally got an answer as to why that is the case. Thanks to Kozuki Sukiyaki, fans found out that the Wano Country that they witnessed throughout the arc wasn’t the real country at all. Deep under the Orochi castle lay a path that took Law, Robin, and the fans on a journey through time tothe land of Wano of 800 years ago. This Wano Country of the old has been submerged underwater but is very well-preserved even now. According to Sukiyaki, Wano once existed on sea level, much like most other places in theOne Pieceworld. Most likely, it wasn’t made up of different Islands either.
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However, at some point, barriers were erected around the country to protect it from something. While it wasn’t revealed as to why that was the case, it is highly likely that this was due to the growing influence of the 20 Kings who were, at the time, at war with the Ancient Kingdom. Once the barriers around Wano were erected, rainwater accumulated inside and thus submerged the old country. A new land was created midway up Mount Fuji and, as the water overflowed, the waterfalls of Wano Country were created as well. Naturally, people fled from the old land of Wano and went to live in the new country they created above.
The Ancient Weapon Pluton
As mentioned by Kozuki Sukiyaki, the reason as to whybarriers were erected around the land of Wanoisn’t known just yet. However, it wasn’t simply to defend the country from the growing influence of the 20 Kings. In fact, it was likely something much deeper. Fans know that on Water 7, the Ancient Weapon Pluton was created by the shipwrights long ago. This weapon was used during the Void Century, however, it has, since then, been at rest. In the Wano Country, it was finally revealed that the Pluton lay at rest in the land of Wano.
It is very likely that after the Ancient Kingdom started losing the war against the 20 Kings, they decided to keep the weapon safe in Wano, deep underground. As such, the barriers erected around the country didn’t just safeguard the country but also Pluton. This is why opening the borders of Wano Country holds great significance in theOne Piecestory. While many thought this act to be a metaphorical one, opening the borders of Wano is a literal act – one where the barrier around it is destroyed and the Ancient Weapon Pluton is once again set free.
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The Future Of Wano
Wano was always very important in the overarching plot ofOne Pieceand that continues to be the case even after the conclusion of the arc. The borders of the country haven’t been opened yet and Dawn hasn’t come to the country just yet either. Wano clearly has a much bigger role to play in the future and all eyes go towards the Final War of the story that Oda has teased so much. With a Shogun of the caliber of Momonosuke, Wano is sure to take part in the Final War when Luffy takes action against the World Government and aims to crush them once and for all. Around that time, fans will likely see the borders of Wano be opened with Zunesha’s help and the Ancient Weapon Pluton be released upon the world.
It is also very likely that Momonosuke himself is tied to the Pluton in some way and that he is the only one who can command it into battle, given his strange ability to communicate with Zunesha. With that, the Minks and the Samurai of Wano will be greatly involved in One Piece’s last war. Following the opening of the country’s borders, the old country made of several islands that was likely created by the “Continent Puller” Oars, will crumble. Wano will most certainly once again return to sea level like the days of the old.
