Wano Country in One Piece

The Wano Country was much larger and had ports that were accessible to the rest of the world in the distant past. Then, some 800 years ago, huge walls were built around the entire nation using an unknown method and for an unknown motive. The island’s original towns were flooded as a result of their failure to allow rainwater to flow away, forcing the localcs to relocate higher up on Mt. Fuji.

It was formerly referred to as the “Country of Gold,” and aristocrats and pirates alike were always posing a danger to its wealth. However, Ryuma, a famous samurai, led the nation’s samurai in defending against all invaders. Ryuma also rose to fame for fighting a dragon over the city. He was honored as a national hero by his legacy and was buried in his birthplace of Ringo after passing away.

Wano was governed by the Kozuki Family-led shogunate within a century of the present. The shogun Kozuki Sukiyaki had a son named Oden 59 years ago. Oden’s entire youth was surrounded with large-scale chaos. A big fight known as the Harem Revolt broke out 44 years ago when a 15-year old Ode kidnapped numerous ladies and took them to the mountains to build a harem. This led to their loved ones and hired samurai arriving to release them.

A Mountain God invaded the Flower Capital 41 years ago after being transported there by the thugs Kin’emon and Denjiro. An 18-year old Oden defeated it, which saved the lives of many locals. After that, Sukiyaki banished and exiled Oden for his out-of-control actions.

When Kozuki Oden traveled through Wano, he attracted a group of formidable followers who later became known as the Nine Red Scabbards. He returned to Kuri two years after being banished and faced Ashura Soji, the most fearsome criminal there.

When Sukiyaki learned what had happened, he restored Oden as his son and gave him the title of daimyo of Kuri. Oden then beat Ashura and apprehended the criminals to restore order.

Sukiyaki got sick back in 1998, which is when Kurozumi Higurashi used her Devil Fruit abilities to pose as the shogun and proclaim that Kurozumi Orochi would temporarily succeed him because Oden had left the country. In the following three years, Orochi began building factories and mistreating the labor force, while his ally Kaidou shielded him from rebellion. When Oden ame back, Orochi refused to give up the shogunate.

23 years ago, Gecko Moria sneaked into the Wano Country, looted Ryuma’s grave, and escaped unnoticed with both Ryuma’s body and his blade Shusui. This incident was regarded as a catastrophe that brought the nation to its knees.

For attempting to open Wano’s borders, Orochi had Oden executed. He also collaborated with Kaidou and Beasts Pirates to hunt down Oden’s Family and retainers, destroying Kuri Castle, where they lived. Kozuki Toki, Oden’s wife, sent her son Momonosuke and retainers Kin’emon, Kanjuro, Raizo, and Kikunojo 20 years into the future.

She also had her daughter Hiyori and retainer Kawamatsy flee with the intention of maintaining their bloodline in case something went wrong. Their graves were built close to the castle’s remains since Toki stayed and met her demise there.

The remaining four daimyo were later approached by Orochi to ask them to swear their loyalty to him, but they all declined and staged a rebellion but were quashed by Kaidou. The majority of Wano was reduced to a dismal wasteland under the leadership of Orochi and Kaidou, and the water and food supplies were contaminated by the weapons plant. Only the Flower Capital continued to prosper, and no one dared to challenge Orochi and Kaidou. However, a lot of people remained loyal to Kozuki.

10 years later, many Kozuki supporters got impatient and stormed Onigashima. They were all slaughtered, and a mass grave in Kuri serves as a memorial to them.

Later, Gecko Moria attacked Kaidou when he returned to Wano, which led Kaidou to slaughter Moria’s entire crew. 4 years ago, Portgas D. Ace visited Wano Country and learned to make a kasa, which he made one for Little Oars Jr. sometime later.

A few months before the current timeline, Momonosuke’s group arrived from the past to the present. All of them, with the exception of Kikunojo, fled the nation to find friends for their rebellion after meeting with samurai who were still devoted to the Kozuki Family, though the Beasts Pirates spotted them when they were leaving.

To battle Kaidou’s men and free Wano, the Kozuki Family joined forces with the Straw Hat Pirates and the Heart Pirates.

Half of the Straw Hats split from the Sanji Retrieval Team and joined Kin’emon and his associates in infiltrating Wano. Kin’emon proposed that everyone go undercover and take civilian identities until he and his friends could put together an army to fight the current shogun and his forces, to ensure that they would not be discovered by the Orochi’s forces.

However, Zoro was wrongly accused of crimes after being spotted with Shusui, and he killed the judge who gave him a death sentence, making him a wanted felon across the country.

When Luffy’s group finally arrived in Wano, Luffy washed up on Kuri Beach. After defending her from the Beasts Pirates who attacked him, he met a girl named Tama. After Tama was poisoned, Luffy brought her to Okobore Town so she could be treated. He ran into and battled Basil Hawkins. Tama was kidnapped from Okobore Town by the Gifter Gazelleman and sent to Bakura Town so the Shinuchi Holed’em might use her Devil Fruit power.

As the yokozuna Urashima competed in sumo, Luffy and Zoro headed towards Bakura Town with the samurai Kikunojo, who hacked off Urashima’s topknot after Urashima proposed to marry him. As a result of Luffy’s victory over Urashima in the ring, Holed’em challenged him and Zoro, a battle in which Holed’em was defeated along with some other Beasts Pirates.

Meanwhile, Law intercepted Hawkins at Bakura Town and later fled with Luffy and the others after they managed to free Tama. After arriving back in Okobore Town, they distributed the food cart to the starving locals.

Shutenmaru and Mt. Atama Thieves later attacked Okobore Town to steal their food after Law had taken Luffy and Zoro to the alliance’s refuge in the remains of Oden Castle. Before Kaidou himself arrived to look for Luffy and Law, Jack, who had come looking for Luffy’s group, found Shutenmaru. The two engaged in a brief battle.

At the same time, Hawkins arrived and informed Kaidou that they were in Oden Castle, prompting Kaidou to erupt into flames and be attacked by Luffy. After quickly defeating Luffy, Kaidou made the decision to place him in Udon’s Prisoner Mine as a slave.

After working for a few days to infiltrate the Flower Capital, the Ninja-Pirate-Mink-Samurai Alliance sent a secret message to their allies informing them of their return and their intention to invade Onigashima in two weeks. Sanji set up a soba stand and overpowered some Kyoshiro Family thugs who tried to intimidate him.

Page One of the Flying Six went on a rampage search of Sanji after the thugs ordered their boss Kyoshiro to get in touch with the Beasts Pirates. Sanji, however, was able to defeat Page One fast and escape.

In the meantime, Orochi met with CP0 to talk about underground trade between Wano and the World Government. He advised them to bring him Vegapunk in order to proceed, and after that, he went to his banquet to where he courted Komurasaki, the most top-ranking oiran in Wano. The Orochi Oniwabanshu captured Robin when she was trying to sneak inside the castle to gather intel, and the banquet quickly turned into chaos when Orochi attacked Komurasaki’s kamuro Toko for making fun of his fear over Kozuki Family’s impending return.

When Komurasaki resisted Orochi and infuriated him further by doing so, Kyoshiro was forced to kill her to show mercy, and Nami, who had also infiltrated the castle, launched a powerful strike in the dinner hall to aid Robin in escaping.

The following day, Orochi learned about the secret message spread by supporters of the Kozuki Family and ordered the arrest of everyone seen wearing a crescent moon around their ankle. Numerous samurai were captured by his and Kaidou’s men, who then publicly imprisoned them in Rasetsu Town. Shimotsuki Yasuie, posing as the fabled robber Ushimitsu Kozo, consented to being caught by the police that evening.

Yasuie was crucified for his crimes the following morning at the same time with Komurasaki’s funeral procession, which Orochi had broadcasted. When Orochi saw Toko, Yasui’s daughter, there, he tried to kill her, but the Straw Hats stepped in and saved her. They then engaged in battle with Orochi’s army, with Zoro nearly putting an end to him. Meanwhile, the Big Mom Pirates attempted to enter Wano, but they were stopped by King at the top of the waterfall.

Chopper, Momonocuke, Tama, and Kikunojo discovered a completely amnesic Big Mom soon after she had fallen into the water and washed up on Kuri Beach. They made the decision to take her to the Prisoner Mine, where Big Mom eventually broke in while searching for Oshiruko.

She went on a rampage on the All-Star Queen and Luffy after she didn’t find any of it, but later Queen dove on her head which made her remember everything and eventually she fell asleep.

As soon as Queen left to take Big Mom to Onigashima, Luffy and Hyogoro, a former yakuza boss in the nation, planned a coup. As the prisoner Caribou shut down communications to the rest of Wano, Raizo, who had broken inside the facility to rescue Luffy, found Kawamatsu there and freed him.

After the meeting, Luffy and his companions attempted to rally the thousands of prisoners who had gathered there to rebel, in which they faced some resistance at first but soon succeeded in winning them over. The remaining of the Beasts Pirates were helpless Luffy’s crew, who quickly took control of udon.

Meanwhile, Big Mom was escorted to Onigashima where she and Kaidou immediately started battling each other which lasted all night. Nevertheless, they chose to form an alliance to rule the world after their war.

A revised version of Yasuir’s secret message allowed the rebellion to continue with their plans. The Kozuki Family alliance worked tirelessly in the days before the Fire Festival to acquire weapons and a fleet of ships, with thousands of rebels on their side, including the four regional yakuza lords. Orochi was informed in great detail about the alliance’s movements when the time came close for the ultimate battle.

The alliance’s fleet was wiped out by Orochi, who cut off all the routes between Wano’s regions, leaving the Nine Red Scabbards at Tokage Port all by themselves. At this point, Kanjuro exposed himself to be the real spy and that he had told Orochi everything about the raid plans. He then abducted Momonosuke and left the Red Scabbards to be dealt with by the waiting Beasts Pirate ships.

However, the alliance was still able to assemble with additional participation from Denjiro and his yakuza group as well as those detained in Rasetsu town thanks to Kin’emon’s misunderstanding of the revised message, which unintentionally tricked the enemy. Momonosuke was still taken captive despite the fact that the Red Scabbards were saved.

The enemy ships were sunk, and the Kid Pirates decided to join the alliance. The Straw Hats moved on to Onigashima after destroying a defended outpost. Onigashima was the scene of celebration hosted by the Beasts Pirates, and the disguised alliance members stealthily infiltrated the party. After the Emperor disclosed the New Onigashima Project at the party, Kaidou killed Orochi, who was preparing to have Momonosuke executed.

The followers of Orochi immediately consented to join the Beasts Pirates, but just as Kaidou was about to kill Momonosuke, the Scabbards showed up there and made an attempt to kill Kaidou.

The coalition subsequently made their presence known, and Luffy declared a full-scale war with the Beast-Big Mom pirate alliance. During the raid, Yamato, Kaidou’s son, and X Drake, a spy, joined the Ninja-Pirate-Mink-Samurai Alliance. After successfully defeating the Red Scabbards in an outdoor battle, Kaidou levitated Onigashima in order to drop the castle in the Flower Capital.

Nevertheless, thanks to the efforts of the alliance, the project was a complete failure as each member defeated Kaidou’s forces, including his ally and fellow Emperor Big Mom, one by one, until at last Monkey D. Luffy defeated Kaidou which caused an underwater volcanic eruption where Onigashima once stood. Momonosuke then used his artificial dragon powers to safely land Onigashima near the Flower Capital.

When Momonosuke arrived at the festival, the Wano citizens applauded as he announced that Kaidou, Orochi, and the Beasts Pirates were all defeated by his “strong and passionate friend” and all of his other comrades. Then, Momonosuke formally appointed himself as the new shogun of Wano Country and appealed to the people to assist him in restoring Wano to the glorious kingdom it once was.

Due to Luffy’s humility, he asked Momonosuke to withhold his name from the subjects, and as a result, he became known as Joy Boy and was lauded for his bravery in taking down Kaidou and releasing the nation.

Soon, Kozuki Sukiyaki took Robin and Law several hundred feet below the capital to show them the sunken ruins of old Wano and explained that as soon as Wano opened its borders, the power of Pluton would be unleashed. He confirmed to Nico Robin that the ancient weapon was indeed hidden in Wano as she had learned in Arabasta two years ago.

With this new information, Law questioned why Oden had intended to open the nation in the first place. Sukiyaki responded simply by saying that he did not know because he was unaware of what Oden had seen throughout his travels. The alliance only needed one more Road Poneglyph to get to Laugh Tale after they eventually came face to face with the 3rd one after counting down till they were in front of it.

As Luffy was still recovering from his epic battle with Kaidou, Marine Admiral Ryokugyu arrived in Wano to arrest him. Momonosuke, the Scabbards, Shinobu, and Yamato stopped him. When Ryokugo was about to win, he made the decision to withdraw for the time being since he felt the strong Haoshoku Haki emitting from “Red-Haired” Shanks, who were just beyond Wano’s borders and who fled when the crisis was resolved.

Before leaving, Luffy gave Momonosuke a replica of his crew’s flag and instructed him to display it in case anyone caused an issue and implied that Wano was now an ally of and protected by the Straw Hat Pirates.

Wano was incredibly rich in nature when the Kozuki Family was still in charge, with vast, blooming forests where lush flora thrived because of clean rivers and oceans, brimming with various exotic wildlife like deers and boars.

Most of the forest was destroyed after the Beast Pirates took control of Wano Country, with the exception of the capital, in order to build mass weapon factories to make weapons in bulk for export. The areas were turned into wasteland as a result of industrial pollution, and wild animals that once roamed the area had become poisonous as a result of ingesting river water from the mines and industries.

For the residents of the Flower Capital and the members of the Beasts Pirates, shogun Orochi and Kaidou had their own pirate farms, such as Kuri’s Paradise Farm.

Listed below are the regions at Wano Country:

Flower Capital

The shogun Kurozumi Orochi sat in the country’s heart, known as the Flower Capital. It is the only prosperous location in Wano. The area that the Flower Capital calls home also includes Mt. Fuji and the ruins of Ebisu Town.

Kiri

Kiri is a city located in the south. Kozuki Oden once ruled here as its daimyo. Kuri had become a wasteland under the Beasts Pirates dominion as a result of the weapons factory’s contamination of the freshwater rivers. Before it was destroyed by the Beasts Pirates’ X Drake, the area was home to the Amigasa Village.

Kuri also has Okobore Town. It is situated across from Bakura Town, on the other side of huge Torii. Everything in the town is manufactured from leftovers from the capital, which contributed to its poverty. It has a large Torii at its entrance and is situated where Oden’s fortress once stood at the base of the mountain.

Kibi

Kibi is a region situated on the western side of the Wano Country. Before Orochi’s conquest, it was governed by the daimyo Fugetsu Omusubi and Yakuza chief Yatappe. Much of it is a wasteland with factories perched atop rock formations, like many other places. Except for Neko Port, it lacks any notable landmarks.

Udon

Udon is situated at the southeast of Wano. It was governed by the daimyo Uzuki Tempura and Yakuza chief Omasa before Orochi’s reign. The lower classes are made to work in industrialized areas with weapon manufacturing until they are exhausted and die. The Prisoner Mine is where rebels are put through extreme torture until their wills crumble and they swear loyalty to Kaidou.

Hakumai

Hakumai is situated in the northeastern part of Wano. It was governed by the daimyo Shimotsuki Yasuie and Yakuza chief Tsunagoro before Orocho’s reign. Currently, it is made up of run down buildings, with the exception of Mogura Port and Jabu Port, two of Wano Country’s largest ports. The alliance originally intended to gather their allies at Habu Port before engaging in the war to overthrow Kaidou.

Ringo

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Ringo is a region in the north of Wano. It was governed by the daimyo Shimotsuki Ushimaru and Yakuza chief Cho before Orochi’s reign. It has a wintery climate throughout the year. The Northern Cemetery, which is rumored to be haunted, is located there. The Oihagi Bridge is located at the cemetery’s entrance.

Onigashima

Onigashima is located south of Wano. Kaidou and his crew used to live here. Under the ruse of paying respects to the nation’s guardian, Orochi and his troops go there once a year during the Fire Festival to celebrate the conquest of Wano Country with their supporters.

Wano Country is basically a portion of a larger geological formation that resembles a mountain or volcano. Its edges and center, where Wano should be, are actually highly elevated plateaus, while the area in between declines toward the sea level and is filled with rainwater.

Fresh water pours down waterfalls from the land into the larger New World sea as a result of its bowl-like composition, and on top of those currents there are clashing currents that cause whirlpools to form. It is also rumored that the sea water magically flows inland, much like Reverse Mountain, becoming crystal pure like a mountain river in the process.

There are just two known ways to Wano Country from the sea. The hardest one, Climbing Koi Waterfall, entails attaching ships to the numerous Koi that regularly ascend the nearby waterfalls from the sea, allowing the fish to drag them along. The alternate approach involves going through a concealed tunnel beneath one of the waterfalls that connect to the Mogura Port, where people and goods get transported inland via gondola.

However, the latter approach is only available to people who have received permission from Kaidou or Orochi. Due to the few routes of entry and the ferocious currents in Wano’s inner and outer oceans, the nation is by nature almost impenetrable, with shipwrecks being a usual sight. Following Kaidou’s takeover, a defense system made up of manually fired cannons was installed in the sea stacks in Wano’s outer seas.

Wano Country includes the nearby island Onigashima as well as a river that splits and divides the country into six parts. Each region was governed by a daimyo during the Kozuki Family’s control, albeit Kuri was lawless before Kozuki Oden was made daimyo. After organizing a failed rebellion against Orochi, Oden was put to death and the other daimyos lost their power as Orochi took control. Jack was regarded as the monarch of Kuri and Queen as the ruler of Udon until the Beasts Pirates were defeated. The existence of designated rulers in any of the other territories is unknown.

Kozuki Sukiyaki implied that Wano’s present bowl-shaped structure is actually the product of a significant topographica change that took place in the nation many years ago, during the Void Century. Wano was once an island that was at sea level and had a much larger Mt. Fuji. This mountain had two unequal tops, the lower of which eventually served as the foundation for Onigashima.

The nation became literally confined when enormous walls were built around the island’s borders using unidentified techniques, resulting in severe flooding brought on by stored rainwater. Wano’s historic appearance is the result of the ancient civilization being forced to climb up Mt. Fuji and live along the mountainside.

As a result of the lack of salt in the water, the old nation’s ruins can still be found at the bottom of Wano’s seas. The ancient weapon Pluton is buried somewhere further within those ruins. The Kozuki Family is aware of an underground passageway that leads to a room containing Wano’s Road Poneglyph and the original base of Mt. Fuji. But just like Jack, a Fish-Man, entered this room from the outside sea through a submerged cavern.

This country is a volcanic island situated over a magma chamber. The ground beneath Onigashima’s previous site fractured, allowing the magma to rise to the surface after the structural stability of the island was compromised by the displacement of Onigashima and two enormous craters that extended all the way to the chamber. The freshwater reservoir near Wano Country had a significant underwater volcanic eruption as a result.

The massive granite walls that surround Wano are evidently not natural, and were primarily built to defend the nation from an outside force, despite being physically tied to the country’s continental crust. It is necessary to physically break down those walls in order to open Wano’s borders, as Kozuki Oden once desired, as doing so would free the ancient weapon Pluton, which is buried deep down in Wano’s underground.

Minerals

The nation, long known as the “Country of Gold,” is incredibly rich in mineral resources and is frequently sought after by outsiders like pirates and other nations.This is why Emperor Kaidou set his sights on Wano’s abundant riches after joining forces with Orochi to support the latter’s ascent to power in exchange for the right to control those resources. The production of weapons has taken up almost all of Wano’s resources since the Beasts Pirates took over the city.

Seastone originated in Wano, where there is a craftsmen culture devoted to forging various objects made of seastone.

The only surrounding sea depicted this far is the one close to the south-eastern shore, where the waters are constantly plagued by bad weather, including strong, peculiar winds that force the clouds and ocean waves to take a swirling appearance resembling typical ukiyo-e paintings.

Each region of Wano has a unique climate. So far, Ringo has been depicted as having freezing, snowy winter-like weather. Hakumai has been shown as having exfoliating autumn weather, and the Flower Capital has springtime sakura blossom.

The waters surrounding Wano COuntry are home to enormous koi and at least one octopus that is the size of a human. The huge carp, which the octopus is capable of summoning, will then swim up the country’s waterfall borders with enough force to pull people and ships tied to them along the way, making those animals genuinely necessary for entering the land.

A katana-wielding baboon, a komainu, a bipedal lizard, and Wanizame, a creature that resembles a cross between a crocodile and a shark, are examples of enormous animals that are used at the land for transportation. Wano is also home to smaller and more common species like tigers, boars, and raccoon dogs. The nation also has a distinctive mobile mode of communication similar to Den Den Mushi: “Smart Tanishi” snails.

Wano had a diverse range of wildlife, including deer and boar as well as numerous carps that resided in the neighboring sea and rivers before the Beasts Pirates took control.

Isolation

The nation follows a strict policy of isolationism, literally translated as “closed country”), which forbids communication with outsiders like pirates and other nations. Another offense is leaving the country’s borders. Any visitors who enter the nation will be attacked right away. This strategy was maintained because of the country’s geographical location, which makes an invasion extremely challenging.

Kozuki Oden discovered during his journey to Laugh Take that Wano was previously connected to the rest of the world but went into isolation to accomplish a certain task and to be safeguarded from a powerful enemy. Oden concluded that Wano should be reopened to the world before Joy Boy came back after learning about the true history of the world. He was ultimately overthrown and put to death by Orochi and Kiadou, therefore he couldn’t accomplish it.

The residents of Wano do not receive outside news or newspapers from the News Coo, with the exception of the Beasts Pirates on Onigashima, and the city also publishes its newspaper that only covers local events.

Due to their isolation from the outside world, the Wano people have developed a variety of myths and superstitions. They refer to the abilities acquired from devil fruits as sorcery, which is notable given that they have no idea what devil fruits are.

The term “Haki” as it is used outside the country is not known, despite the fact that the concept is quite well known inside. Instead they refer to it as Ryou, which is Japanese for “Flowering Sakura” and focuses on the idea of flow. While Oden was one of the few who pointed out that this racism was ignorance deserving condemnation, the majority of people considered creatures like Minks and Fish-Men as monsters to be persecuted due to their lack of awareness of the outside world.

The country’s ruling class is hypocritically disregarding its own policies, which has resulted in discontent among some of the civilians, as evidenced by Orochi’s alliance with Kaidou (who in turn has many connections outside), despite the prohibition against interacting with pirates and other outsiders. In order to facilitate trade agreements, Orochi has also been seen personally interacting with outside parties like CP0 of the World Government.

He is also prepared to covertly import resources like battleships that will strengthen his government. In an effort to convince a foreigner to serve for his country, he even insisted that the agents provide Vegapunk in exchange for more weapons.

Sukiyaki disclosed to Robin that Wano’s isolationism is really meant to restrain Pluton, and that the country’s opening up its borders will unleash the ancient weapon on the globe.

Wano has its unique written language that is written using ideograms, probably as a result of their isolationism.

Currency

In place of Belly, Wano uses coins made of silver, gold, and platinum. Silver is reportedly insufficient to purchase a week’s worth of pure water. 500 Gold is seen as a substantial sum, and just one Platinum coin is (or at least was four decades ago) sufficient to build a house.

Smithing and Metallurgy

With the likes of the renowned swordsmiths Kotetsu, Shimotsuki Kozaburo, and Kozuki Sukiyaki, the Wano Country is the leader in smithing and metallurgy in the entire world. The indestructible Poneglyphs were created in the Void Century by the forefathers of the current ruling Kozuki Family. Wano produces high-quality weapons since the World Government has been smuggling weapons there in secret for the Marines.

The O Wazamono Swords Ame no Habakiri, Enma, Wado Ichimonji, Nidai Kitetsu, and Shusui (the nation’s treasure) are a few renowned swords made in Wano that are known across the globe. Basil Hawkins claims that Wano Country is where Seastone was first discovered and is also the only location where it can be processed into any kind of weapon.

Administration

Wano was formerly dominated by six powerful families; the Shimotsuki Family, the Kurozuki Family, the Uzuki Family, the Amatsuki Family, and the Fugetsu Family. Each presided as daimyo over one of Wano’s regions, while the Kozuki Family functioned as the shogunate. The five daimyo were the leading contenders to succeed the shogun if there was no male successor within the Kozuki Family.

However, the Kurozumi Family lost power a few decades ago as a result of their lord poisoning the other daimyo in a failed attempt to become shogun. The Shimotsuki Family eventually came to rule over two territories as a result of this treason and the deaths that followed it.

The surviving daimyo refused to serve under Orochi when he succeeded Kozuki Sukiyaki through a deceitful act with Kurozumi Higurashi as shogun and executed Oden; as a result, Orochi and Kaiodou wiped them off, with survivors being driven into hiding. The daimyo system was abolished during Orochi’s rule.

It is assumed that Jack and Queen of the Beasts Pirates are the respective monarchs of Kuri and Udon; it is unknown whether any of the other territories have a ruler. The corrupted government of the nation is a result of Orochi, whose officials oppress and ruthlessly rule the population. Their allegiance to Kaidou, who supported them with the armed forces of the Beasts Pirates, further solidified their control by making it nearly difficult for the population to rebel against Orochi.

Orochi’s cruelty turned a large portion of the nation into a wasteland, with only his own territory, the Flower Capital, remaining rich. In order to further solidify his rule and policies, Orochi used deceitful propaganda to brainwash the wealthy citizens of the Flower Capital.

He idolized himself as a great hero and demonized the Kozuki Family, particularly Oden, by alleging that they tried to bring Wano to ruin by abandoning the isolation policy and opening the country’s borders to the outside world.

The government of the nation established a caste system that prioritizes riches over all else during Orochi’s rule. Residents of the Flower Capital must be wealthy or they risk being exiled. It has been established that there are two types of towns in each region of the nation. High-ranking officials sometimes reside in towns where they exercise control over the general public, allowing only necessary artisans and merchants to continue operating there.

The rest of the population is compelled to live in poverty in what is referred to as “leftover towns.” People only have access to leftover food in these towns because it was passed by those with more social standing. The leftover food is insufficient, leaving the locals to starve. People who reside in these towns are looked down upon and seen as inferior by those of better rank.

In exchange for limited rations and wages that aren’t enough to sustain themselves or their families, the underprivileged citizens are forced into a life of servitude working in the dangerous factories that mass manufacture weapons for the Beasts Pirates. Orochi and his followers respect Kaidou, and the wealthy inhabitants were swayed by Orochi’s corrupt worldview as a wise ruler and protector.

Momonosuke declared he would restore Wano Country to its former glory following the defeat of Kaidou and Orochi, and told his people to drink as much as they wanted, destroy the hazardous factories, and abolish slavery.

Justice and Punishment

When Oden, the shogunate heir during his childhood, and Orochi’s grandfather, the former head of the Kurozumi Family, committed crimes, they were both held accountable under the fair and impartial legal system that once prevailed in Wano Country. Kuri’s criminals were the only exception due to how ruthless and brutal outlaws who ruled the area were.

All of Wano’s rules were altered after Kurozumi Orochi took the shogunate in order to suit his misrule and seek revenge. Both defying Orochi and criticizing him publicly are regarded as rebellions and as capital crimes. In the Udon region, dissidents who blatantly disagree with Orochi were given the death penalty or were imprisoned for life. A man and his family were executed for disobeying Orochi’s orders and joining the Beasts Pirates.

Any citizens who attempted to advocate for Kozuki Oden and his retainers were brutally murdered by being ordered to be boiled alive. The only exception to this rule is Kaidou, the pirate who had initially supported Orochi’s rule over Wano, as none of Orochi’s subordinates dared to take revenge on Kaidou for killing their master.

Citizens who are wealthy enough can boldly commit crimes and get away with it through bribery because of corrupt administration. Some high-ranking officials also carry out executions for their own ends and use a scapegoat to hide their tracks.

For those who defy shogun, public executions by crucifixion occasionally take place and are cited as an example.

Organized Crime

The yakuza are feared in Wano, and those connected to it are treated with a mixture of administration and fear.

Armed Forces

The samurai, or samurai as they are known in Wano Country, are fierce swordsmen who are so fearsome that not even the Marines will approach them. Anyone belonging to the samurai class is apparently of high social standing. Samurai have been the only people officially permitted to wield katana since Orochi came to power. Shusui, Ryuma’s sword, is regarded as a national treasure of Wano Country.

Some areas of Wano Country were governed by high level members and crew members of the Beasts Pirates. As a result, those people’s subordinates were in charge of a portion of the area and had the power to pass judgment over the locals.

Wano once had dojos where swordsmanship and martial arts like kendo, judo, and karate could be taught. Since becoming Wano’s shogun, Orochi has made it illegal for those institutions to operate in order to prevent any rebellion.

Custom and Fashion

Wano women are permitted to become samurai or ninja, but it is expected that they will speak gently, with grace, and with modesty. They are always referred to with the honorific prefix “O-”.

Men often wear the chonmage as a hairdo. Chonmage removal is a sign of shame and a way to atone for dishonorable behavior.

The people of Wano are likewise prone to aggressively and zealously prosecuting horrible offenders, even their family members, only because they are related to the culprits in question. Similar to when Orochi’s grandfather murdered a fellow daimyo and was already sentenced to death by seppuku by the Kozuki Family, the majority of Wano residents hunted down the Kurozumi Family’s remaining members who were not involved in the crime with ruthlessness.

To the point where even the children of the Kurozumi Family were treated like heinous criminals like Orochi and Kanjuro while they were still young. This ultimately resulted in the tyranny of the Kurozumi Orochi, who took the shogunate out of pure retaliation and subjected countless citizens to horrible living circumstances before causing them to perish from hunger.

Despite Orochi’s crooked social hierarchy, which allowed high-class residents to dominate the lower class by ordering them around or even murdering them without facing legal ramifications, the court system used to be fair and unbiased.

All Wano citizens and samurai strived to keep the Bushido samurai code, living their lives with honor, chivalry, compassion, loyalty, and courage during the Kozuki Family’s rule. Prominent Bushido followers such as Ryuma, Hyogoro, and Oden were legendary figures who were revered as idols.

The majority of surviving samurai who have been corrupted by Orochi’s influence, such as the Mimawarigumi, have abandoned the Bushido code in favor of Orochi’s depraved ideology of greed and pride, committing crimes for self-interest as well as looking down on the poor citizens and oppressing them relentlessly. However, after Orochi rose to power, countless samurais dedicated to the Bushido bode were killed for defiance.

Literacy

Wano Country used to have a very high literacy rate since its people generated a huge number of books that were easily available for purchase and sufficient for self-education. Because of their remoteness, the Wano people write with traditional Japanese writing implements such as ink brush and inkstone.

The Poneglyphs, a long-lost language, were inscribed into the steles by the Kozuki Family, who were skilled philologists. Their ancestors began a family tradition of passing on their special knowledge and abilities to their offspring. As Momonosuke and Hoyiro were unable to learn from it from their father, the Kozuki Family’s history of passing on their old philology knowledge and skills to future successors had been assumed to end with the death of Oden.

Kozuki Sukiyaki, Oden’s father, who was thought to have been murdered by Orochi, had actually been imprisoned and later escaped. Out of guild, he hid his survival and took a different identity. It is unlikely that Sukiyaki would teach his descendants to read because he only exposed himself to Robin after Orochi was overthrown and he has no plans to do the same for anybody else.

The literacy rate in Wano has significantly decreased after the Beasts Pirates took control and Orochi came to power because all other regions were turned into wasteland and the Flower Capital now houses the only school left. The majority of the wealthy citizens, including Orochi’s officials, blindly supported Orochi and the Beasts Pirates because their corrupted ideology had been taught to the children and would ensure the continuation of the social inequality of Orochi’s wealth-based caste system. Orochi and the Beasts Pirates had completely corrupted the country’s educational system.

The education system was revamped when the Kozuki Family was reinstated to power in order to root out the corruption from the past. New instructions were hired to impart to the kids about the real histories of Wano and its heroes, like Kozuki Oden.

Post-Mortem Customs

Wano appears to hold traditional Japanese funeral practices, consisting of a wake, walk to the grave, cremation, and the placing of a huge stone pillar bearing the deceased’s name inscribed on it. Some families have a private cemetery where they bury their deceased loved ones. Important possessions of the deceased may be buried with them, and the grave sometimes may become a target of theft for various reasons, including those possessions.

The deceased are preserved for all time under the ice in the Ringo region because of the extremely low temperatures. A method known as “Eternal Burial” allows bodies to last for hundreds of years with little sign of deterioration.

Kin’emon claimed that Wano hosts a “Fire Festival” every year, and its major objective is to pay tribute to and remember those who have passed away. When the celebration is about to conclude, people use sky ships, or sorabune, to express their wishes and appreciation to the heavens and their ancestors.

Wano Country is a large region with hundreds or thousands of people living there. Listed below are the main inhabitants of Wano Country:

Kozuki Oden

Kozuki Oden was a member of the Kozuki Family and the son of the former shogun Kozuki Sukiyaki. He served as the daimyo of Kuri, and also as the head of the Nine Red Scabbards, a famed and formidable band of samurai who were all his retainers and closest allies.

Kozuki Toki

Kozuki Toki, formerly Amatzuki, was the wife of Kozuki Oden, and mother of Momonosuke and Hiyori.

Kozuki Momonosuke

Kozuki Momonosuke is the current shogun of Wano Country. He became an important ally to the Straw Hat Pirates throughout the Dressrosa and Country Sagas.

Kozuki Hiyori

Kozuki Hiyori is the daughter of Kozuki Oden and Kozuki Toki. She is the younger of Momonosuke. Hiyori took the guise of Komurasaki, the highest rank of all oirans, in order to hide her identity.

Kozuki Sukiyaki

Kozuki Sukiyaki is the former shogun of Wano Country. He is a swordsmith by hobby and is a descendant of the fabled swordsmith Kotetsu. He forged Sandai Kitetsu, one of Roronoa Zoro’s swords.

Nine Red Scabbards

The Kozuki Family’s Nine Red Scabbards are a group of retainers who previously served Kozuki Oden and are currently serving his son Momonosuke. The names of each retainer are listed below:

• Kin’emon

• Denjiro

• Kikunojo

• Kawamatsu

• Raizo

• Inuarashi

• Nekomamushi

• Ashura Doji

• Kanjuro

• Izou

• Shinobu

Tama

O-Tama is a young girl from Wano Country’s Kuri region. She is a kasa weaver employed by Tenguyama Hitetsu and is also a kunoichi trainee under Shinobu.

Shimotsuki Yasuie

Shimotsuki Yasuie, better known as “Yasu the Hedgehog,” Tonoyasu, or just Yasu was a member of the Shimotsuki Family, and a taikomochi who resided in Ebisu Town close to Wano Country’s capital. He was Toko’s adoptive father.

Shimotsuki Ryuma

Shimotsuki Ryuma was a legendary and world-famous samurai who lived in the Wano Country when it was considered as the “Country of Gold” centuries ago. He was given the nickname “Sword God.”

Kurozumi Orochi

Kurozumi Orochi was the former shogun of the Wano Country and the last member of the Kurozumi Family. He ruled over Wano tyrannically after forming an alliance with Kaidou.

Beasts Pirates

The Beasts Pirates are a notorious and ruthless pirate group commanded by Kaidou, a former member of the Four Emperors. They used Wano as their headquarters for illegal operations such as weapon manufacturing.

• Wano Country is influenced by feudal Japan, as shown by the names, accents, architecture, culture, and general ambience of the inhabitants.

• The term “samurai” used to refer to swordsmen in this nation and its closed-door policy are both allusions to feudal Japan.

• The weather around Wano is based on the Japanese folktale about the kamikaze, who assisted the Japanese to repel the Mongol Empire’s invasion.

• During the second half of the Straw Hat Pirates’ attempts to reach Wano through the chaotic seas around the nation, one scene included a big wave that was very similar to the classic ukiyo-e woodblock print known as the Great Wave off Kanagawa.

• So far, the information about characters from Wano Country who have been introduced in the current manga has appeared on a Japanese scroll rather than the usual information box. This served to introduce the nation itself.

• Even though Momonosuke’s bogus introduction was an anomaly (perhaps implying that the presentation was dishonest), he had a scroll when his true name was revealed.

• When Ryuma reappeared in One Piece, it was not actually him; rather, it was his reanimated corpse that had returned to life by someone else’s shadow.Ryuma was presented in a different way because he predates One Piece and had previously featured in the oneshot Monsters.

• In Wano Country, each new character includes an information box with concave corners. When several Straw Hats returned as their alter egos in Wano, they were introduced as their aliases in that way.

• The first and only canon location that has thus far been first encountered in a non-canon fiction is Wano.

• When presenting the Wano Country, Oda uses “be-ben,” which simulated the strum of a shamisen, a traditional Japanese string instrument, rather than the customary “do-don” onomatopoeia he uses to introduce new places or characters.

• The majority of Wano Country’s areas are named after a Japanese dish, even if they are written with different characters; the exceptions are the Flower Capital, Onigashima, and the non-canon Yo.
  

• Japanese chestnuts are referenced by the word kuri, which is transcribed as “nine villages.”

• The word “kibi,” which means “unique beauty,” is related to proso millet, a type of grain used in the preparation of foods like kibi dango in Japan.

• Udon, which is spelled “rabbit bowl,” refers to udon noodles. The word “hakumai,” which translates to “white dance,” refers to white rice.

• The word “ringo,” translates to “after bell,” relates to apples, or “ringo,” which are mainly grown in Japan despite not being initially linked with the nation.

• Wano is located on the North side of the New World. The Log Pose points east, northeast, and southeast toward three distinct islands after departing Wano. One will travel through the Grand Line the furthest on the Northeast route. It was later discovered that the southeast road leads to the science island Egghead, which is governed by the World Government. It is later discovered that the Giants’ home island of Elbaf is reached by the eastern path.

Q. What country is Wano inspired from?

1. Wano Country is inspired from the traditional ancient Japan culture and traditions.

Q. Why is the Wano arc so hyped?

1. The Wano arc contains some of the major historical events in One Piece world, which is why it is very important among all the major arcs until now.

Q. Which arc is after Wano?

1. After Wano, the series moves on to its final saga which starts with the Egghead arc.

Q. Is Zoro from Wano Country?

1. Though One Piece fans theorized that Zoro has some historical connections with Wano, the same hasn’t been confirmed by Oda yet.

Q. When is the Wano arc ending?

1. The Wano Country saga ends in the One Piece manga in Chapter 1057.