One Piece began its Wano Country arc way back in 2018 and it has since then continued to become the longest-running arc in the series, surpassing even Dressrosa. The arc sees Luffy and his alliance enter Wano Country in an attempt to take down Yonko Kaido and free the land from his clutches of tyranny. With powerful allies at his back, the heroes of the story challenge the supremacy of the Yonko in a life and death battle. As such, this arc was the biggest step that any of them had taken in their pirate careers and was, thus, hugely significant.

The majority of the Wano Country arc is now over, with the Straw Hat Pirates and their allies having triumphed over both Kaido and Big Mom. The Yonko have fallen and Wano has been liberated. While the arc isn't completely over, the biggest plot threads surrounding its story have wrapped up, meaning fans can now judge it for good. So, how good was the Wano Country arc?

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The Storytelling And The Lore

kozuki oden is surrounded by flames

When it comes to storytelling, Wano might just be Eiichiro Oda at his very best. Having set up Wano before even the timeskip of One Piece, it was clear that Oda had planned for this arc quite well. After the two-year timeskip when Luffy set sail to the New World, everything that the Straw Hats had gone through was a buildup towards Wano. Being the culmination of everything in the post-time skip of One Piece, Wano was indeed special.

The story was properly set into motion during the Zou arc which mentioned Kozuki Oden's story. As the arc kicked off, it was quite clear to see that Oda had put extra effort into it as with every act, the story kept getting more gripping. The tale of Wano is one filled with despair, loyalty, and hope for a better future.

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These themes form the basis of the arc and are delivered like no other in One Piece. The despair of Wano was quite clear to see from the very first chapter of the arc where the country was portrayed to be a barren wasteland with not even clean water to drink for 20 years, and all due to the rule of Orochi and Kaido. Fans got to explore the story of Kozuki Oden and witness the loyalty that Scabbards showed to him during his flashback.

All that was topped with the story of Gol D. Roger, which made the arc all the better. Carrying the loyalty for 20 years, the Scabbards found powerful allies in the form of Straw Hat Pirates and challenged the Yonko once again. On the night of the Fire Festival, their supremacy was finally toppled and Wano was once again liberated.

The Action And Intensity

One Piece Luffy Vs Kaido

From an action standpoint, Wano had some of the most incredible fights in One Piece. After all, not every arc focuses on every Straw Hat fighting. This arc gave fans several fights with not just a Straw Hat pirate but the likes of Kid, Law, Killer, and even the 9 Red Scabbards, which was incredible to see. The arc carried a very Enies Lobby-like feel to it and displayed the unity and the power to overcome all odds of the Straw Hat Pirates once again. The power-ups laden throughout the arc were simply outstanding – possibly being the best in the entire story.

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The likes of Zoro, Sanji, Robin, and even Killer, to an extent, shone brightly throughout the arc. Zoro and Sanji's power-ups, in particular, were extraordinary, and saw them being pushed to the absolute limits. As for Luffy, he awakened Gear 5 which is him at his absolute peak and is, hands down, the best transformation in One Piece so far. While not all fights in Wano were on the same level, the overall consistency was certainly there to be admired.

The Shortcomings

Nami Wano

However, just like all other arcs, Wano certainly has shortcomings. Spanning over 140 chapters is quite a drag. For some, this felt like an exhausting experience to go through on a weekly basis even though it was quite beautifully illustrated. While Wano's story is certainly incredible, there are some gripes that the fans have with the arc. Certain sections of the arc, such as the Live Floor with the Ice Oni Bullets felt exhausting. At the same time, the intensity in some other fights was simply not there and Usopp and Nami's fights are examples of that.

At the same time, as with every other arc, there were a few death fakeouts which certainly doesn't help either. While One Piece fans have gotten used to them, it often confuses a fan over what to feel when a character almost appears to be dying. As such, the impact of certain deaths was arguably ruined. The deaths of Ashura Doji and Izo are examples of that. Quite a few fans thought neither of them would die and thus the impact of their deaths was not felt completely.

That said, Wano is still an incredible arc. Every single arc in the story, from the likes of Marineford to Enies Lobby have their own shortcomings. For Wano to have its own is not a surprise. When compared to the very best arcs of One Piece, Wano is certainly up there. From a storytelling standpoint, Wano is quite possibly the best One Piece arc so far, and while the action is lacking in certain areas, it is better than most other arcs. The fact remains, that Wano gave fans some legendary moments such as chapters 956, 967, 1000, and 1044, among many others that were simply outstanding. All things considered, Wano certainly delivered upon all the expectations and went beyond. With that, One Piece now heads towards its Post-Wano arc which is certainly going to be just as incredible.

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