The recently concluded Wano Country Arc of Eiichiro Oda's One Piece is perhaps the most ambitious narrative undertaking that has been seen in the series so far, spanning nearly 150 chapters in the manga and over 100 episodes and counting in the anime. Covering the struggle of the Ninja-Pirate-Mink-Samurai Alliance to overthrow the rule of shogun Kurozumi Orochi and the Yonko Kaido over Wano, the arc was structured in a three act form, culminating in the final Raid on Onigashima on the night of the Fire Festival. This assault on Kaido's fortress, located on the mountainous island of Onigashima, would be the main focus of the third and final act, which lasted nearly 100 chapters on its own.

At the centre of this conflict was Kaido's plan to discard the alliance he had with Orochi in favor of taking control over Wano personally. He planned to do this by establishing his fortress on the country's mainland to legitimize his claim to rule the nation by rechristening it "New Onigashima." This would transform the country into a lawless wasteland for pirates, with all the citizens of Wano being recruited as slaves to extend the country's industrialization, turning it into a massive weapons factory. He also formed an alliance with Big Mom to take on the World Government and find the One Piece. In effect, this scheme was called the "New Onigashima Project," and it would have far-reaching ramifications in both Wano and the rest of the world in One Piece.

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A Deplorable State Of Affairs In Wano

Prior to the arrival of Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates, Wano had been under Kaido and Orochi's control for two decades, following the defeat of Kozuki Oden and his retainers. During this time they had transformed its lush, bountiful lands into a desolate wasteland poisoned by industrial waste. This contaminated the water and food supply, leaving the formerly prosperous country without sufficient resources to sustain all of its citizens. Orochi also instituted a caste system where wealth reigned supreme.

Those dwelling in the Flower Capital who fall into poverty also face the threat of exile. Under Orochi's reign, there were two types of urban areas in the country — the more affluent ones where high ranking officials reside, and the so-called "leftover towns," who survive on the scraps of food, water and other resources that other towns discard. Many who lived in these kinds of towns were in a constant state of starvation and extreme poverty, adding to the desolate situation of Wano as a whole.

Poorer citizens were also forced into slavery in the mines and weapons factories, receiving little compensation for their labor. Corruption was prominent throughout the administration, and any dissent against Orochi or Kaido was immediately met with strict punishment — either being sentenced to slavery, or execution along with their entire family. As such, those who possessed wealth could commit heinous crimes and get away with them as long as they did not bother Orochi or Kaido, contributing to the lawlessness that existed beneath the veneer of order in Orochi's regime.

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Replacing The Flower Capital

While such conditions were already depressing enough of their own accord, Kaido wanted to expand his control over Wano even further, after spending 25 years in league with Orochi. As part of the New Onigashima Project, he planned to eliminate Orochi, and replace him with his son Yamato, who would become the new shogun of Wano. Through this move, he would be able to relinquish administrative duties to his son, freeing him to venture out to sea and find the Ancient Weapons alongside Big Mom, in their bid to overthrow the World Government.

In doing this, he also planned to shift the island of Onigashima — his current base of operations — to the Flower Capital, thereby destroying the entire city, while displacing, injuring, or killing all of its residents. Such a horrific act would be made possible by the flame clouds Kaido could generate in his Azure Dragon form, which would lift the island into the air and transport it to the center of Wano's mainland. He planned to drop the landform right on top of the shogun's castle in the Flower Capital, thus erasing any trace of the former regime. This would have also been a means for him to physically stamp his authority over the nation, signaling the start of a new era in Wano's history.

Kaido first declared his intentions behind the New Onigashima Project during the Fire Festival, prior to Kozuki Momonosuke's execution. Naturally, this announcement was met with resistance from Orochi and his subordinates, as this act violated the alliance he had in place with the Beasts Pirates. Taking note of this, Kaido immediately killed Orochi, ending their partnership. He then threatened Orochi's subordinates with death if they did not swear fealty to him, and was able to bring them over to his side without much resistance.

Legitimizing Kaido's Rule

Although Kaido held a great deal of authority in Wano throughout his alliance with Orochi, the vast majority of political power still lay in Orochi's hands, as he was the one managing the nation's affairs as the head of state. In effect, Kaido had to go through Orochi as an intermediary in order to get things done on the mainland, and his main sphere of influence was limited to Onigashima. Even though Wano was transformed into an industrial hub for manufacturing weapons in the 20 years after Oden's death, Orochi still let some of the country's citizens lead normal lives, as long as they did not rise up against him and Kaido.

With the elimination of Orochi, the Beasts Pirates, led by Kaido, would have direct control over affairs in Wano, and they would be able to transform the country as they saw fit. For Kaido, this meant the enslavement of the entire populace, worsening the already sorry state of affairs in the country and turning its political climate into a dystopian nightmare, stripping the rights of Wano's citizens while giving pirates free rein to run amok and commit whatever crimes they wanted to. He also intended to exploit Wano's remaining natural resources to the fullest, without paying any heed to the environment degradation caused by his activities, essentially condemning the populace as well as Wano's flora and fauna to walk a slow and agonizing path towards extinction.

Fortunately for the citizens of Wano, Kaido was thwarted in his endeavor during the Raid on Onigashima by the Ninja-Pirate-Mink-Samurai Alliance, who dealt a thorough defeat to the Beasts Pirates, Big Mom, and Orochi along with his subordinates. All of Kaido's commanders were defeated by members of the Straw Hat Pirates while Big Mom was taken down through the combined efforts of Eustass Kid and Trafalgar Law, who used their Devil Fruit Awakenings to overcome her immense power.

Lastly, Kaido himself was defeated by Monkey D. Luffy, after a long and drawn out confrontation which saw the captain of the Straw Hats awaken his Devil Fruit and unlock Gear 5. Kozuki Momonosuke was also able to create flame clouds in his dragon form after artificially aging himself, and guide the airborne island of Onigashima to land safely at a distance away from the Flower Capital. This dealt a death blow to Kaido and Big Mom's designs, making the New Onigashima Project a complete and utter failure, in the process, gaining revenge for the Kozuki family and the people of Wano.

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