Something One Piece is most famous for is its phenomenal world-building and lore. The manga creator Eiichiro Oda is an absolute chad when it comes to dropping hints and information about important events before the audience can even put everything together.
The most recent chapters of the One Piece manga have been bombarding us with chunks of world-building ever since the defeat of Kaido and his Beasts Pirates in the Wano Kingdom arc.
The latest chapter (chapter 1055) reveals a few secrets of the island of Wano and opens up new questions about the long-awaited opening of the kingdom’s borders.
The Hidden Secret of the Land of Wano
One Piece chapter 1055 confirms that the Wano we know today is just a small part of the original kingdom of Wano.
About 800 years ago, Wano was located at sea level on the land around the base of Mt. Fuji. At some point, walls were erected all around the island, due to which rainwater accumulated, and the land was abandoned after being submerged underwater.
The land further up the mountain was established for settlers and grew into the country of Wano we know today.
In chapter 155, we see the former Shogun of Wano, Kozuki Sukiyaki, leading Nico Robin and Trafalgar Law further down the passage under the Castle Basement. It is here that the old submerged land of Wano is located.
Going further, near the foot of Mt. Fuji, we find another Road Poneglyph. The third of four Poneglyphs needed to find the island of Laugh Tale.
Sukiyaki tells them that going even deeper would lead them to the sleeping ancient weapon Pluton.
In order to retrieve Pluton, the walls surrounding the nation would need to be removed. The task of ‘opening the country’ would literally mean opening up their greatest defense, the walls protecting Wano, and setting loose the ancient weapon Pluton.
When will the Borders of Wano Finally Open?
Although many fans thought the borders of Wano would be opened by the end of this saga, it does not seem to be the case. Wano still needs time to recover from the reign of terror they suffered under Orochi and Kaido.
The samurai of Wano need to be able to defend the land from foreign threats without the help of outsiders like the Straw Hats.
With Luffy’s induction into the Four Emperors of the Sea, The land of Wano is now considered part of his territories.
Opening the borders may expose the land of Wano to attacks from the World Government, Marines or other pirate crews. As it stands, Wano has no way of defending against something as strong as the World Government.
The kingdom’s borders will surely be opened sometime towards the end of the series, probably after Luffy finally obtains the fabled One Piece treasure. Maybe Blackbeard with his Tremor-Tremor Devil Fruit powers will have something to do with it.
But it doesn’t seem like Blackbeard will disturb the peace of Wano just yet. Especially not with it being under the protection of the Straw Hat Pirates.
Regardless of who opens the borders, the land of Wano remains an important location for the Straw Hats’ journey to find the One Piece. It will be referenced again later in the series, and we will surely witness the opening of the kingdom’s borders when the time is right.
Opening the Land of Wano
Kozuki Oden’s dying wish was to open the land of Wano to welcome the figure the world awaits. Oden’s will was carried on by his retainers and passed on to his son Kozuki Momonosuke.
However, after Luffy’s victory over Kaido, Momonosuke says that he has thought long and hard and has decided not to open the borders just yet.
While some may think of postponing the much-awaited opening of Wano as an act of cowardice by the 8-year-old Momo, most fans understand that it is the right decision to take at this point in time.
The newly liberated kingdom is still in a state of recovering from the war with the two Emperors. To make matters worse, admiral Aramaki’s appearance has given the warriors another challenge to deal with.
Even though Shanks does provide some kind of support to stall Aramaki, we know that admirals can also initiate a Buster Call if required. The situation is made even worse because there are Marine ships positioned right outside the borders of Wano.
As things currently stand, Momonosuke’s decision to postpone the opening of the kingdom of Wano for another time is the best possible choice for them at the moment.
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.
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. His diverse crew is joining him along the way, consisting of a swordsman, marksman, navigator, cook, doctor, archaeologist, and cyborg-shipwright, this will be one memorable adventure.
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