New One Piece Chapter Adds Onto An Existing Theory About Wano’s Origins

One of the things that make One Piece worthy of the King of Manga title is the subtle foreshadowing done in the series.

Eiichiro Oda, the series creator, loves to drop hints and pieces about what’s coming later in the series.

A great example to illustrate this is in chapter 174, Sanji talked to Crocodile over a den-den mushi and called himself Mr. Prince. Over SIX HUNDRED chapters (around 12 years in real life) later, it was revealed that Sanji is actually part of a royal family.

These small details make reading One Piece very interesting and help in theorizing what’s to come.

On that note, One Piece chapter 978 subtly added a detail that adds to a theory revealing the origins of Wano. The giant katana shown in the double-page spread on page 4-5 suggests that giants had something to do with the formation of Wano.

Wano – A Cluster of Islands

The map of Wano, revealed back in chapter 934, features something odd. Instead of one island, it looks like Wano is a cluster of islands pulled together and joined by bridges.

Another interesting thing to note is similar to different islands having wildly different climates on the Grand Line, different segments of Wano also have wildly varying climates.

A theory, which floated shortly after chapter 934, tries to connect this to Oars, or rather his epithet – The Continent-Puller.

The theory suggests that someone from the same breed as Oars pulled separate islands together to form what is now known as Wano. The giant skull on Onigashima has also been theorized to belong to the same person.

Chapter 978, titled “Introducing Tobi Roppo,” includes a very detailed double-page spread on pages 4 and 5.

This double spread gives us an excellent glance at the entrance to Onigashima. It also includes an enormous katana buried in the ground close to the skull. This katana’s deliberate inclusion in this spread is not just an artistic choice from Eiichiro Oda.

It strongly suggests that the theory is true, and this will probably be revealed further in the story as the readers find out more about the history of the One Piece world.

About One Piece:

One Piece is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. It has been serialized in Shueisha’s Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine since July 22, 1997, and has been collected into 95 tankōbon volumes.

The man who had acquired everything in this world, the Pirate King, is Gol D. Roger. The final words he said at the execution tower were “My treasures? If you want it, I’ll let you have it. Look for it; I left all of it at that place.” These words sent many to the seas, chasing their dreams, headed toward the Grand Line, in search of One Piece. Thus began a new age!

Seeking to be the greatest pirate in the world, young Monkey D. Luffy also heads toward the Grand Line in search of One Piece. With his diverse crew joining him along the way, consisting of a swordsman, marksman, navigator, cook, doctor, archaeologist, and cyborg-shipwright, this will be one memorable adventure.