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 all the Straw Hats except Luffy were taken away from the Sunny before Luffy and the ship washed ashore on Wano. Luffy woke up, only to see a komainu being sent crashing into the Sunny by a giant baboon holding a sword.

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.