One Piece has been around for decades, so of course there will be casualties and sacrifices throughout the story.
The series has seen its fair share of deaths over the years. From those that take lives through flashbacks, to those that are directly significant. Lately, One Piece has been particularly heavy-handed with deaths in the story, with a recent update confirming a fan theory about the death toll in Wano.
The update comes via a new set of Vivre Cards that have just gone on sale in Japan. The Vivre Cards feature brand new information about One Piece characters, such as Shanks and Queen. Fans have also been given more information about Cipher Pol and a card that confirms that Guernika was murdered by Kaido.
So who died in the Wano Country storyline?
According to Vivre Cards, Guernika was killed by Kaido after the Cipher Poll 0 agent ate Kaido's hammer.
If you remember, this spy was tasked with taking Luffy's life during the battle with Kaido, as the World Government feared that the Straw Hat's Devil Fruit would awaken.
At that moment, as Luffy and Kaido were about to deliver the final blow in their climactic battle, Guernika used Tekkai, intervening to break up the fight. He held Luffy back long enough for Kaido's devastating attack to hit him. This angered the Yonko, who dealt Guernika a blow for getting in his way.
Luckily Luffy did not die completely, the awakening of the devil fruit brought Luffy back to life, and he gained the power of Nika.
But not all deaths in the Wano arc are treated the same. Many characters actually die in this arc even before the Onigaishima raid begins.
We saw Yasuie die with dignity, even when he was publicly executed. From Ashura to Izo and Orochi, many characters died before the Wano saga ended.
Several other characters also nearly died like Zoro. The swordsman was severely injured in the fight with Kaido, but he once again stood up to fight King. It was there that the cursed sword Enma made Zoro face a life-or-death test of strength, and Zoro overcame it.
Is Wano the bloodiest arc in One Piece?
Since the Wano arc ended, fans have been trying to figure out the exact death toll, and now we know Guernika is on that list. Between the prison riot and the start of the Onigaishima raid, a lot of people died during this arc.
It was so large in scale that we know that a large number of side characters died when the Kozuki Alliance fought Kaido and Big Mom. There's no denying that the war in Wano Country was fierce, and there were many casualties.
It may be overlooked at times, but One Piece is quite violent by nature. From the battle at Marineford to the destruction of Ohara Island, there are a huge number of deaths. While the manga keeps the main characters in check, it's not uncommon to hear about indirect deaths in One Piece.
