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

This week, the most recent spoilers for Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece manga series were revealed, offering an exciting preview of the upcoming official release. Fans were eagerly anticipating this early glimpse, as the Egghead arc appears to be approaching its climactic finale.

Confirmation of fans’ suspicions came with the release of chapter 1117’s spoilers, which reveal that the upcoming One Piece installment will depict the Straw Hats’ official escape from Egghead Island. Roronoa Zoro plays a crucial role in this, as he engages in a brief clash with Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro, a member of the Gorosei, in order to protect the Thousand Sunny from destruction.

Despite their clash, Zoro takes note of something about Nusjuro’s sword that leads him to believe it may be a Kitetsu blade or have some similarities to one. This scene further solidifies a popular theory in the One Piece community about Nusjuro’s background, regardless of what his sword is actually known as.

One Piece: Nusjuro’s Wano origins confirmed through Kitetsu swords’ origins

Based on the design motifs that closely resemble the Nidai and Sandai Kitetsu blades, it is highly probable that Nusjuro’s sword is a Kitetsu blade. Nevertheless, even if it turns out to not be a Kitetsu blade, what is crucial is that Zoro clearly sensed or observed qualities in the sword that are reminiscent of a Kitetsu blade. In simpler terms, Nusjuro’s sword is most likely either an authentic Kitetsu blade or a blade crafted by a swordsmith from the Kitetsu school.

Similarly, it is widely recognized among fans that all members of the Kitetsu school of swordsmiths in One Piece originated from Wano country. This is further substantiated by the fact that two known members, Kozuki Sukiyaki and his ancestor Kotetsu, hailed from Wano. Given the age of any sword besides the Sandai Kitetsu, it can be safely assumed that Nusjuro is also a native of Wano.

Further supporting this idea is the fact that Wano had been isolated from the rest of the world for centuries before the story began. Although there have been a few instances of Wano citizens leaving the country, there is a lack of evidence showing any goods being exported from Wano and imported into other countries.

Keeping this in mind, the only plausible explanation for Nusjuro possessing either the Shodai Kitetsu or a blade forged by a Kitetsu swordsmith is if he was once a resident of Wano. The age of the Shodai Kitetsu also adds weight to this theory, as the Sandai Kitetsu was created by Sukiyaki and the Nidai by his ancestor. In essence, it is highly unlikely that any current Kitetsu swordsmith could have given Nusjuro the sword due to Wano’s historical seclusion.

Similarly, even if a Kitetsu swordsman had passed away before the events of One Piece, they would not have been able to bestow their sword upon Nusjuro unless they were originally from Wano. While there may be rare cases where this does not apply, this is the most logical inference to be made considering the evidence presented and the established rules and history of Oda’s universe.

Regrettably, this remains purely conjectural as there has yet to be any confirmation regarding Nujsuro’s origins. However, fans can anticipate some form of explanation regarding Nusjuro’s sword and background in the Final Saga, possibly sooner rather than later.