Zoro's reaction to Nusjuro's sword all but confirms his Wano origins in One Piece

Modified Jun 14, 2024 01:12 GMT

Zoro's reaction to Nusjuro's sword all but confirms his Wano origins in One Piece (Image via Toei Animation)

Earlier this week, the latest spoilers for author and illustrator Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece manga series were released, bringing an exciting early look at the upcoming official release. Likewise, fans were eager for this early look as the Egghead arc is seemingly entering its final descent into a full conclusion.

Fans’ suspicions were confirmed by chapter 1117’s spoilers, which allege that the next official One Piece release will see the Straw Hats’ escape from Egghead Island officially begin. Playing a major role in this is Roronoa Zoro, who engages in a brief clash with Gorosei member Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro to stop him from destroying the Thousand Sunny.

However, as they clash, Zoro notices something about Nusjuro’s sword, alleging it to be a Kitetsu blade or at least reminiscent of a Kitetsu blade in some way, shape, or form. Regardless of what Nusjuro’s blade is called, this scene seemingly confirms a long-standing One Piece theory regarding Nusjuro’s origins.

One Piece all but confirms Nusjuro to have Wano origins thanks to confirmed origins of all Kitetsu swords

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First and foremost, it is more likely than not that Nusjuro’s sword is a Kitetsu blade, with it having many design motifs very similar to the Nidai Kitetsu and Sandai Kitetsu. However, even if it isn’t a Kitetsu blade, what’s important is that Zoro very clearly saw or felt something about the blade, which can liken it to a Kitetsu. In other words, Nusjuro’s blade is likely either a true Kitetsu or a blade made by a swordsmith of the Kitetsu school.

Likewise, fans know that One Piece’s Kitetsu school of swordsmiths hailed from Wano country. Two known members further confirm this, with one being Kozuki Sukiyaki and the other being Sukiyaki’s ancestor, Kotetsu. With this in mind and how old anything besides the Sandai Kitetsu would likewise be, it’s essentially all but confirmed that Nusjuro is from Wano.

One key piece of evidence further emphasizes this is that generally speaking, Wano was closed off to the outside world for centuries before the start of the story. While there are several instances of Wano citizens leaving the country, there are little to no examples of goods of any kind being exported from Wano and imported into other countries.

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With this in mind, the only logical way Nusjuro could have either the Shodai Kitetsu itself or a blade made by a Kitetsu swordsmith is if he was once a native Wano citizen. The age of the Shodai Kitetsu further supports this, with the Sandai Kitetsu having been crafted by Sukiyaki and the Nidai by Sukiyaki’s ancestor. In other words, no living Kitetsu swordsmith could’ve possibly given Nusjuro the sword as a result of the country’s isolation.

Likewise, any prior Kitetsu swordsman who died before One Piece’s story would also have been unable to give Nusjuro his sword unless he was a native Wano citizen. While there are potential exceptions here, this is the only logical conclusion that can be drawn based on the above evidence and the rules and history of Oda’s world as he has laid them out.

Unfortunately, this is all still speculative, with no confirmation on Nujsuro’s origins having been revealed yet. That being said, fans can expect some sort of elaboration on Nusjuro’s sword and his origins sometime in the Final Saga, likely sooner rather than later.