Wano Country Arc

The Wano Country Arc (ワノ国編) is the thirty-first story arc in the series and the fourth in the Yonko Saga of One Piece, continuing from the Reverie Arc.

The Ninja-Pirate-Mink-Samurai Alliance sets in motion their plan to recruit the Whitebeard Pirates and liberate Wano Country from the control of the Beasts Pirates led by Kaido and their ally, the shogun.

Arriving at Wano: The Alliance's Plan Set into Motion
As the Reverie took place, Nekomamushi and the Guardians came to an island in the New World. Nekomamushi went to a secret village behind a waterfall, where he found Marco healing the wounds of its citizens. Marco revealed that this place was not a part of the World Government due to being too poor to pay the Heavenly Tribute, and Whitebeard had built it up and maintained it as a sanctuary, with his crew now protecting it after his death. Marco then mentioned Edward Weevil, believing that the Shichibukai would go after this place in his search for Whitebeard's inheritance. Because of this, Marco decided to stay rather than go to Wano Country, and told Nekomamushi to give Luffy a message from him.

Meanwhile, Zoro's group reached Wano Country, and Kin'emon instructed the Straw Hats to blend in while they rallied people to their cause. If they laid a hand against the shogun Kurozumi Orochi or his subordinates, Kaido would hear about it. Franky, Usopp, and Robin adopted new names and trades to blend in, but Zoro became a rōnin and was accused of cutting people down in the streets at night. He was caught and forced to commit seppuku, being also charged with grave robbing when the magistrate discovered Ryuma's Shusui in his possession. The magistrate took Shusui, and the executioner prepared to finish Zoro off once he committed seppuku. However, Zoro smelled blood on the magistrate and instead used the seppuku blade to attack him from a good distance away, before apologizing to Kin'emon.

Luffy's group was sailing when they read the news about the Reverie, and they were excited to see photos of people that they knew. However, Chopper prevented Nami from reading an article about Kaido and Big Mom when he cut out a picture of Kureha. The crew was unable to contact the others, and as they approached a big storm, Nami remembered that Kin'emon had said that the weather was one of the barriers to entering Wano. An octopus then boarded their ship as they became surrounded by a school of giant carp, and they followed the carp through the current. They came to a waterfall which the carp were climbing, and Luffy grabbed onto some of them to pull the Sunny up. However, there was a whirlpool at the top, and Sanji decided to fly everyone to land. Luffy had Sanji use him as a trampoline, but before he could escape, the octopus held him back and sent him into the whirlpool with the ship.

Luffy woke up on the beach in the Kuri region of Wano Country after being washed ashore with the Sunny. He witnessed a baboon wielding a sword named Hihimaru attacking a komainu named Komachiyo, while a couple of Beasts Pirates scouts were riding nearby. They had captured a young girl named O-Tama, who had mentioned the Kozuki Family in their presence, when they spotted Luffy and the Sunny. They tried to attack Luffy, only for the pirate to quickly dispatch them. One of the pirates ordered Hihimaru to attack Luffy, but the latter stopped the baboon with a glare. O-Tama then knocked out the enemy pirate, and the girl managed to tame Hihimaru by feeding him kibi-dango created from her own body. Tama explained to Luffy where he was and what had happened to her, and after taking the Sunny to a secure location, she offered to feed him as thanks. She took him to her master's house, where she made some rice dishes. After he ate, Luffy was confronted by Tama's master Tenguyama Hitetsu, who was angered that he ate the rice that she rarely got to have due to spending her life weaving kasas every day. Tama explained to Hitetsu that she gave Luffy the rice to thank him, but she then got sick due to having drank some river water that was contaminated by Kaido's factories. Hitetsu revealed that she had decided to continue living in Kuri to wait for Ace, who had promised to return there.

Meanwhile, Basil Hawkins, now a headliner in the Beasts Pirates, heard about the incident on the beach. Rather than report this to Kaido, he decided to deal with the situation himself. Luffy told Tama that Ace was dead, and she was so shocked that she passed out. Hitetsu revealed that this was once a place called Amigasa Village, and around four years ago, it was going through a famine. When the people were on the verge of starving to death, Ace's ship washed up onshore, and they tied up him and his crew and stole their food. Ace befriended them and grew especially close to Tama, agreeing to take her out to sea when he returned. However, Amigasa Village was destroyed a few years later by Beasts Pirates Headliner X Drake. Luffy decided to take Tama to the nearest town to find a doctor for her, and wanted to take Hitetsu's cursed sword Nidai Kitetsu, whom his ancestor Kotetsu had forged, with him. Hitetsu protested due to fearing the sword's curse, but Luffy ran off with Tama. Komachiyo gave them a ride, and they came to a barren wasteland with one of Kaido's quarries and weapons factories in the distance. Luffy spotted several animals, but Tama told him that they were poisonous due to drinking the contaminated water. Luffy then saw Zoro saving a woman from two Beasts Pirates, and reunited with his crewmate. However, they were then confronted by Hawkins, and prepared to fight him.

Story Impact

 * A character made their first post-timeskip appearances in the manga. The character (in the order they were reintroduced) is: Marco.
 * Nekomamushi has found Marco, who works as a doctor at Whitebeard's home island.
 * Because of the threat of Edward Weevil likely coming to the island Marco refuses to go to Wano Country, but gives Nekomamushi a message to pass on to Luffy.
 * It is revealed that Bakkin and Whitebeard used to be on the same ship some 40 years prior to the present time.
 * Basil Hawkins is revealed to be Kaido's subordinate.
 * Hitetsu reveals that O-Tama had a connection with Ace sometime in the past.