One Piece: Top Ten Wano Plot Points That Fell Flat
The Wano Country arc/saga has been One Piece’s most extensive and satisfying chapter to date.
The arc, which spans 149 chapters, has witnessed the rise and collapse of a number of alliances, the revival of old secrets and mysteries, the end of 20 years of oppression, and the beginning of a new shogunate.
Being a skilled storyteller, Oda has made sure to wrap up or build up most plotlines for the grand finale. However, some of the Wano storylines appear to have been dropped after their debut and never really took off.
I’ll talk about the top ten loose ends in Wano plots in today’s post. They are either absolutely unimportant or Oda has completely forgotten about them in favor of more pressing matters at hand, or he will address them in later chapters.
10
The Nidai Kitetsu was mentioned several times at the start of the Wano arc, and Wano was the only place Zoro could have obtained the potent blade.
Nidai Kitetsu is an unrealized ambition for both Zoro and us with the Straw Hats now on Egghead Island.
A cursed katana created by Kotetsu, Oden’s father Kozuki Sukiyaki’s grandfather, is known as the Nidai Kitetsu. Even when he used it against Hawkins, whom he hit despite holding the sword in his hand, Luffy stole it but didn’t truly use it.
The Kitetsu kind of functioned as the antithesis of Chekhov’s gun: it was always present but never utilized.
Or so we believed. Zoro was prepared to receive it. He appeared to be really interested in it, and given that he may have connections to Ryuma and Wano as well as Shimotsuki ancestry, it would have been ideal for him to exchange one of his swords for the Kitetsu—the second-strongest Kitetsu sword—for it.
I’m still hoping he receives it before to his eagerly anticipated encounter with Mihawk.
Since we’re talking about swords, Zoro never even asked the samurai for additional information about the black blades.
The Shusui was a Black Blade, and he no longer even had it. We should have received some information regarding the production of the fabled black blades from Wano, the home of the samurai. But that was also disregarded.
9
The Kokeshi dolls may appear to be a minor story point, but the fact that they turned up in Hitetsu’s cellar after he was revealed to be Sukiyaki gives the impression that they may have greater significance.
When Brook discovered the basement when Orochi resided at the palace, it was first described in chapter 934. Then, in chapter 960, Hitetsu’s introductory box, it was addressed. Finally, Hitetsu’s identity as Sukiyaki is exposed in chapter 1053 when Robin confronts him about Pluton and the Poneglyph.
Was the sole goal of the Kokeshi dolls to use Hitetsu’s preoccupation with collecting to establish a link between the Poneglyph and Kozuki Sukiyaki? Why even bring them up? Was it only done to give Sukiyaki a peculiar characteristic or quirk?
8
Outside of Wano, the World Government had stationed its entire fleet. Why did they come to Wano in the first place? According to Greenbull, no one dared enter Wano with Kaido there. Along with the Alliance and two Yonkos, Wano’s boundaries were still in place.
Even if the WG ships had been stationed there in the unlikely event that Luffy would beat Kaido, which is exactly what transpired, they were still lacking authorization from Akainu to invade the nation. Only to satisfy his fleet admiral, Greenbull/Ryokugyu invade Wano to catch Luffy.
Therefore, it is illogical for the WG to send the Marines to Wano unless the whole fleet belongs to Greenbull.
7
It appears that Zunesha’s primary goal was to confirm Joy Boy’s existence when Luffy awoke Gear 5: Nika. Zunesha spent years sailing the oceans and eventually ended very close to Wano’s waters, but after the conflict, they just vanished into thin air.
I’m sure we’ll find out more details later because Zunesha’s mystery is connected to Joy Boy, but their position in Wano and their sudden presence and absence felt somewhat arbitrary.
Zunesha left without providing us with any further details regarding Joy Boy or anything else as soon as Momonosuke said he would not open the Wano boundaries.
Raizo put out the fire in Wano; Zunesha did not even attempt to do so. Overall, Wano’s Zunesha subplot might have benefited from a bit more development.
6
Zoro is met by a man who unmistakably resembles the Grim Reaper after beating King. Zoro becomes unconscious just before the Grim Reaper slashes him with his scythe. Never again was the Grim Reaper seen or discussed.
Nothing in the artwork suggested the Grim Reaper was a vision or dream, however it is possible that he was experiencing hallucinations as a result of the therapeutic medicine the Minks had given him.
It may also be meaningful since although Zoro has experienced several near-death experiences and this is the first time we have seen the Grim Reaper, Zoro was on the point of dying following his battle with the All-Star King.
Given that the sword is thought to cause its users to die horribly, I feel it may also be related to the Nidai Kitetsu. So perhaps it’s not so much a sign as it is a foreshadowing.
5
Luffy had made a commitment to take down Big Mom ever since the events of the Fish-Man Island storyline. However, Kid and Law were responsible for the downfall of Charlotte Linlin, making the entire Luffy vs. Big Mom narrative point moot.
When they encountered each other in the New Word, Luffy vowed to Big Mom that he would win. Luffy vanquished her Sweet Commanders in Totto Land and engaged the Yonko in battle, but ultimately fled.
It was logical that Luffy could only battle one Yonko and not two in Wano because there were so many alliances and groups fighting together, and Kaido appeared to be a greater threat at that moment.
Even after all the assurances Luffy gave that he would be the one to take her out, Kid and Law ended up carrying out the crime.
We everyone assumed Luffy would show up to finally put a stop to Big Mom, which is why many people didn’t think she had been beaten.
What purpose served the lengthy development between Luffy and Linlin?
4
We had anticipated the Big Mom Pirates’ involvement in the Wano conflict ever since Big Mom and Kaido formed their alliance. However, only Perospero and Linlin took part in the battle; the rest of her fleet was driven off the coast of Onigashima by King and later Marco.
Big Mom’s team appeared to have only come to drop off their mother at the battle and then left.
The Big Mom Pirates are extremely strong and closely bonded; if they had been there during the conflict, the Alliance would not have prevailed and the Raid would not have been successful.
The fact that the Alliance would be hopelessly outmatched by two Yonko crews may have been the reason Oda refused to let them enter Wano.
Greenbull informed us that the World Government ships left Wano after the conflict, but Big Mom’s ships’ whereabouts are unknown. Hell, we don’t even know Big Mom’s fate.
All I can say is that if Katakuri had been in Wano, things would have undoubtedly been hotter or more springlike.
3
The 9 Red Scabbards would vanquish Kaido and Orochi in 20 years and unlock the frontiers of Wano, according to Kozuki Toki’s chapter 919 prophecy. Even though the Wano arc is done and the conflict is ended, the borders remain locked.
Sukiyaki explains to Robin that expanding Wano’s borders will literally cause Pluton to activate. Toki was aware of this, right? Toki’s prediction that this will happen is illogical.
What’s worse is that the entire storyline was focused on Wano’s borders being opened, only for it to not really happen.
2
The most potent owners of Ancient Zoan-type Devil Fruits are Kaido, King, and Queen. We had hoped to witness confirmed Ancient Zoan fruit Awakenings from the Beasts Pirates since Impel Down hinted about them. We didn’t, though.
Crocodile described how the Impel Down Jailer Beasts were Awakened Zoans in chapter 544. Since then, we have been anticipating seeing some Awakened Zoan action, and while we do get to see it from Chopper, none of our big arc enemies awaken during the arc.
The Jailers had no more significance in the manga, and they were never again referenced. Before Luffy’s actual DF was revealed, the Beast Pirates were the most significant Zoan-type Devil Fruit users in the story.
It seems to reason that the greatest Ancient Zoans would possess this capacity if poor Impel Down inmates could Awaken their Zoan powers. Wano was the name of the Zoans’ Empire.
Nobody anticipated Kaido to lose so quickly. Sure, Joy Boy physically defeated him, but Kaido didn’t get back up. About five times, Luffy stood back up, but Kaido never did.
Although it’s possible that they were already Awakened, what use did the whole Jailer Beasts tale serve to hype up the Zoan Awakenings?
According to legend, awakened Zoans have the ability to transform into their full beast forms and revert to their basic impulses, fighting blindly with brute strength. Although we were unable to witness Kaido, King, or Queen completely embody their Beast forms, we do know they are capable of doing so.
The Tobi Roppo didn’t even give us any awakenings. wasted opportunity.
Additionally, the term “awakening” suggests the act of awakening; we wanted to see the “-ing” component of it, such as Luffy’s awakening, the metamorphosis of it at the time it was happening rather than after it had already occurred.
1
Kawamatsu notices how Zoro’s fighting style and appearance resemble those of the Sword God Ryuma and Shimotsuki Ushimaru in chapter 1023, while Zoro is engaged in combat with King. It was speculated that Zoro’s past would be disclosed because Wano is the home of the samurai, but it was not.
We deserved more information about Zoro’s origins, particularly his time spent in Shimotsuki village, his link to the Shimotsuki clan, his tie to the samurai of Wano, and his whole ancestry, even if Oda acknowledged in an SBS that Ushimaru is not Zoro’s father.
The issue of whether Zoro went to Ryuma’s grave when he stated he would also has to be addressed. Wano would have been the ideal location to investigate the Zoro and Ryuma parallel.
Sadly, Zoro’s history was not taken into consideration.
One Piece
The Japanese manga series One Piece was created by Eiichiro Oda. Since July 22, 1997, it has been published in serial form in Shueisha’s Weekly Shnen Jump magazine.
Gol D. Roger, the Pirate King, was the one who owned everything in this realm. His last words before being executed were, “My treasures? I’ll give it to you if you ask for it. Search there for it; I left everything there. Many were inspired by these words to take to the seas in pursuit of One Piece, sailing in the direction of the Grand Line. Hence, a new era started!
Young Monkey D. Luffy also travels to the Grand Line in quest of One Piece with the goal of becoming the best pirate in the world. This will be a wonderful journey with his eclectic company, which includes a swordsman, marksman, navigator, cook, doctor, archaeologist, and cyborg-shipwright.
