In a major reveal from an “Oda’s OSA” Q&A session after One Piece’s Chapter 1158, Eiichiro Oda apparently revealed a long-buried connection between Warlord Gecko Moria and the Kozuki Clan of Wano Country, which completely rewrites the Warlord’s backstory.
Eiichiro Oda confirms Gecko Moria’s Wano Country origin
The revelation comes after a cover page illustration of One Piece depicted Yamato and Kikunojo visiting a grave in Ringo, Wano Country, which reads “Kozuki Moria.” For years, fans assumed that Warlord Gecko Moria was just a rogue pirate who invaded Wano Country in search of Ryuma’s remains and the legendary blade Shusui. According to Eiichiro Oda, however, there is a lot more to this warlord’s back story.
“That’s right. I actually wanted to reveal this during the Wano Country arc, but I couldn’t find the right opening to fit it in. Based on the information I’ve given you all so far, Moria was described like this: he once fought with Kaido. After his entire crew was killed, he developed a personality that relies on others. He possessed the corpse of the legendary samurai Ryuma and the famous sword ‘Shusui.'”
According to the creator, Warlord Gecko Moria was actually born in the West Blue but washed up on the shores of Wano Country as a child. The people of Ringo, Wano Country, decided to adopt the boy and raise him as one of their own. Though not a blood relative, Warlord Gecko Moria was apparently given the name “Kozuki in honor of his strength, Moria, who had already set out to sea as a pirate—returned to fight Kaido in an attempt to save the people of Wano from his attack. However, he was defeated.” This revelation gives a new twist to Warlord Gecko Moria’s famous fight with Kaido. Instead of fighting to conquer Wano Country, Warlord Gecko Moria actually fought to protect the region that had become his new home.
The Warlord’s crushing defeat and the death of his crew were apparently the breaking point that turned him into the cynical character fans saw in Thriller Bark. “After his loss, Moria felt so ashamed that he left Wano without saying a word. The people assumed he had died and built a grave for him. Since I cut this from the main story, it’s just a ‘need-to-know’ bit of trivia!” As a testament to this, the people of Ringo built a grave in Warlord Gecko Moria’s memory.
Oda also revealed a clever play on words that fans might have overlooked for the last several decades. “Kozuki” is a combination of “Light” and “Moon,” while “Gekko” is a combination of “Moon” and “Light,” using the same kanji but in reverse order. This might actually mean that Warlord Gecko Moria’s title of “Gekko” is actually a play on words referencing the region of Wano Country.
