One Piece entered its Wano Country arc in 2018 and, having gone on for over three years already, it is safe to say that this arc is the biggest section of Oda's story so far. After entering the New World and sailing across several islands, the Straw Hat Pirates finally face their biggest test so far in the Wano. On the surface, the Wano Country arc is just like any other One Piece arc where the Straw Hats get to a new island, defeat the villain, maybe liberate the country in the process and leave.
However, a deeper look into how Oda has set this arc up and the important details in the plot of the arc makes Wano much bigger than any other arc in the story to date. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that this arc is deeply tied to the endgame of One Piece and holds incredible significance, some of which is yet to come to light. In every single way possible, Wano is what sets things into motion as fans brace themselves for the fast-approaching end of Eiichiro Oda's magnum opus.
The Significance Of The Wano Country Arc
Wano might look like it is just another arc, however, this is one arc that Eiichiro Oda has probably wanted to draw the most. Its first mention to the fans came back in Thriller Bark when the zombie samurai Ryuma was introduced to the story. Since then, Oda has slowly been building up towards the arc and after the time skip, has gone all-in on it, with the set-up for the arc beginning immediately after the Straw Hat Pirates enter the New World. Punk Hazard is what marks the beginning of the Wano plotline, which was released back in January 2012 and now, fans are getting to see the ultimate payoff after all those years, which just goes to show how special the Wano Country arc truly is.
With a build-up as great as this, it was no surprise that Oda was planning great things for the arc as Luffy and co. prepare to take down one of the Yonko of Sea, Kaido. A task that already looked insurmountable became even more difficult when Yonko Big Mom made her way to Wano as well. It is quite clear that Oda set up the greatest battle in One Piece with the introduction of two Yonko as the enemies and several members of the Worst Generation along with the mighty Samurai of Wano aiming to take them down.
Wano not only throws light on the biggest superpowers in One Piece but also gives fans a look at some of the most incredible characters in the story. Many of them seem like they will end up playing a big role when it comes to Luffy getting to the One Piece. Perhaps the most important thing about Wano is Kozuki Oden. First mentioned in the Zou arc, it wasn't until the Third Act of Wano that fans got to see who Oden was, and it wouldn't be farfetched to say that Oden lived up to the expectations that people had set for him.
Oden, just like Luffy, cherishes freedom and always craves adventures, which certainly doesn't go hand-in-hand with Wano's closed borders policy. However, when Whitebeard arrives on Wano, Oden does everything possible to get aboard his ship and becomes a pirate. While Oden's journey with Whitebeard is certainly great, the real part of the journey begins when he joins Gol D. Roger. Together, the two do the impossible and gain access to all the Road Poneglyphs. Immediately after, the crew sets sail to the Final Island, which they end up naming Laugh Tale.
Oden's role in the arc is key to filling in some of the missing pieces in the series' lore while also providing fans with hints of what's to come. Not only does he, along with the Roger Pirates, know the secrets to the biggest mystery in the One Piece world, but he also holds all sorts of information on the heroes of the future, Joy Boy being one of them.
Oden's return to Wano sees him shocked at finding out the state of his country and even though he tries to save it, he fails. But he thankfully passes on his will to his Scabbards and hopes for Joy Boy to bring freedom to Wano. At the same time, his death sets up the most complex reveal in One Piece in the form of the time-traveling ghosts. More importantly, it also establishes the Pirate-Ninja-Mink-Samurai Alliance that is at the core of the story right now.
What Wano Sets Up For The Future
With Wano, fans can finally start preparing themselves for the endgame of One Piece as the story is finally heading in that direction. As Luffy is facing off against Kaido in a one-on-one battle, along with Kid and Law taking on Big Mom, it is quite clear that the power system in the world is going to shift massively. With two of the Yonko down, the story could give fans a completely new system.
This is especially likely since Oda made another massive change in the world while the Wano Country arc was going on with the abolition of the Shichibukai system. With mighty characters such as Mihawk, Boa Hancock, Weevil not being Shichibukai anymore, and Luffy, Law, and Kid rising in power, the balance of power in the New World is certainly going to be very interesting to monitor once the Wano Country arc wraps up.
More importantly, one of One Piece's biggest mysteries might finally be answered with the history of Wano. Although it's a closed country right now, Wano certainly wasn't always like that. As Oden learned on Laugh Tale, Wano was once a country with open borders and a part of the rest of the world but a major power, likely the World Government, caused it to close its borders to outsiders. Oden specifically tells the people of Wano to open the gates of Wano for the arrival of Joy Boy who, in this case, is probably Luffy.
As such, One Piece is finally diving deep into the finale of its story by throwing light on one of the series' biggest mysteries so far. At the same time, Luffy can also take a massive step towards becoming the Pirate King. With Kaido's defeat, Luffy would have his hands on three of the four Road Poneglyphs in the story, which is the most anyone has right now. Luffy is now the man closest to the One Piece, even more so than the Yonko, and the dream of becoming Pirate King will become much more of a reality once the Wano Country arc ends.
While Luffy fights Kaido, the World Government is also making its move and a major power shift is taking place at the same time. Characters like Vivi, Shanks, Sabo, and Boa Hancock have been teased to play a massive role in the upcoming events, which are sure to be related to the Great War that is to come after Wano. After all, Luffy is quickly reaching his goal, and the final enemies - the World Government and the Celestial Dragons - are all making preparations to engage in what Oda described as a war that will dwarf Marineford.