Wano continues to isolate itself, but was this the wisest choice?

As the Wano arc of the One Piece anime series comes to an end, fans have witnessed Luffy’s gear fifth form and the defeat of both Kaido and Big Mom, two well-established pirates with a total bounty of nine billion berries.

After the defeat of Kaido and the death of Orochi, Kozuki Momonosuke finally takes his place as shogun of Wano. With the Akazaya samurai supporting him, Momonosuke’s reign is expected to be one of peace and prosperity. Moreover, he is expected to fulfill Oden’s last wish—opening the borders of the land of Wano and exposing it to the world. However, Momonosuke seems to have other plans, at least for now.

Wano, The Closed-Off Country

The land of Wano is a country located in the New World. Wano stands out among various other countries as it is not allied with the World Government and is closed off from the rest of the world. The Kozuki family had always ruled Wano; however, Kurozumi Orochi usurped the previous shogun and enlisted the help of Kaido. Joining with Orochi to usurp the Kozuki clan, Wano became Kaido’s base. Kaido intended to turn Wano into New Onigashima, a lawless island run by pirates; thankfully, Luffy and the Ninja-Pirate-Mink-Samurai alliance defeated him and Big Mom.

As a country, Wano practices an isolationist policy. With this policy, Wano makes no contact with the outside world and vice versa. Leaving the country’s borders is considered a crime, and people from the outside world who land ashore are often executed. Maintaining the policy of isolationism is easy for Wano, as its geography makes it extremely difficult for outsiders to invade the country. Moreover, the country is littered with fearsome samurai who can put up a fight. As it is closed off from the rest of the world, the citizens of Wano have limited knowledge of the outside world and general practices.

Why Is Opening Wano’s Borders So Important?

Kozuki Oden, a strong and respected member of the former Whitebeard pirates, was from the land of Wano. Seeking to explore the outside world, Oden left Wano, joined Whitebeard’s crew, and eventually joined Gold Roger’s crew. When Oden, alongside Gold Roger and his crew, got to Laugh Tale, he learned that Wano was once opened to the world and used to be known as the Country of Gold. At that time, the land of Wano was at sea level and could easily be accessed by the outside world.

However, the country was then sealed and isolated from the world to contain the ancient weapon Pluton, which is located under Mt. Fuji, underneath the old Wano country. To open Wano to the world would mean to unleash the ancient weapon upon the world. While this seems dangerous, Kozuki Oden concluded that Wano must be opened to the rest of the world before Joy Boy returns. As someone who learned the true history of the world, Oden’s words carry extreme significance and should be adhered to. Oden himself tried to open up the country; however, he was executed by Kaido before he was able to accomplish it.

How Justified Is Momonosuke’s Refusal?

After the defeat of Kaido, many would expect the new shogun, Kozuki Momonosuke, to open the land of Wano as his father wished. However, Momonosuke decides against that. While many might feel Momonosuke should open up Wano, this might be the best decision at the moment. While Wano should undoubtedly be opened up to the world, it is important to note that the country is currently in shambles. Because of Kaido’s reign of terror and slavery, a good portion of the country’s workforce is malnourished and on the verge of death. The country is in abject poverty, and its lands and waters are contaminated with chemicals from Kaido’s weapon factories.

Moreover, the country lacks the manpower to defend itself from external threats. As Wano is not affiliated with the World Government, the World Government is not obligated to help or send the marines to help them battle and keep pirates at bay. While the country has its own trusty samurai, after 20 long years of suffering and slavery, many of the samurai are long dead. And even more were lost during the battle against Kaido and Big Mom.

While opening Wano is extremely important, the current shogun, Kozuki Momonosuke, is still only a child in mind, although he now has an adult’s body. This means that he would need to learn the administrative roles that come with leading a country, and he would need to learn how to use his devil fruit more effectively so that he can properly protect his people from external threats.

Summarily, it can be seen that Momonosuke’s decision to open up the land of Wano is justified, as the country needs to be rebuilt and develop the necessary workforce to protect itself from external threats. However, on the flip side, what if Momonosuke decides never to open up the land of Wano?

Will Momonosuke Ever Open The Borders?

Thankfully, Momonosuke’s decision to leave Wano’s borders closed seems to be only temporary. The new shogun plans to open up the country once things have been put in place. If Momonosuke decides not to open up the land of Wano at all, that would be a disaster, as it would be in direct defiance of Oden’s last wishes. However, Momonosuke plans to honor his father’s last wishes and is only biding time for the country to develop past its current predicament. And so, the opening of Wano’s borders has only been postponed, not denied. As he is simply thinking about the well-being of his people, Momonosuke’s decision to postpone opening the country can be seen as justified for various reasons.

One Piece is available to stream on Crunchyroll.

Src: gamerant.com