Kano Country/Non-Canon

The Kano Country (狩野国, Kanō-kuni), also called the "Thousand-Year Kingdom" (千年王国, Sen'nen'ōkoku), is one of the largest and oldest known countries in the world, known for having many millennia's worth of tradition, military might, and other traits that helped shaped the modern world.

Through a series of devastating coups, exiling, and assassinations by various factions, the Xiaotian Clan are the continent's current rulers — with its current Jade Emperor, Delun Xiaotian, temporarily cutting off the empire from the rest of the world through his isolation policy to deal with the internal strife.

History




Overview
"For an ancient kingdom, it sure does have a lot to offer, huh?"

- Kaisei's comments about Kano's opportunities.



Military Strength
"There's a reason why the Marines don't mess with us and we're in good graces with the World Government. Our military forces are too strong for one force to overcome; we owe that to millennia's worth of military experience. The only ones that could possibly match us are the Wano Country's Samurai forces, and even then, both countries would see it as a foolish gesture — as there's no clear winner. What could you, a measly little crew of ragtag pirates, think you can do to us?"

- Jing's claims about his empire's military.

As Kano is an ancient empire, it's an understatement that its military strength is unlike that of any other country; the source of such strength is based in wisdom and experience, unlike others, that's based on overwhelming power. Like the Samurai of the Wano Country, the Marines don't mess with Kano's soldiers because of how well-versed the empire is in combat — remaining on cordial terms at all times. The combination of their high-level martial arts skills, ample Devil Fruit Powers at their disposal, incredible use of Haki, a multitude of war tactics and strategies, and technological advances that have heavily integrated into some of their military factions, makes Kano virtually unopposed despite internal conflicts lasting generations. There are eight military divisions, each focusing on certain aspects of Kano's societal structure.

Báihè Deyǔmáo
The Báihè Deyǔmáo (白鶴的羽毛, Pinyin for "White Crane Feather") is Kano's air fleet, developed over the last 500 years and said to be the first of its kind; while the ships are rather simplistic, they're rather effective and often used for aerial assaults and air-based combat. Its current leader is _.

Shēnhǎi Wángguó
The Shēnhǎi Wángguó (深海王國, Pinyin for "Deep Sea Kingdom") is Kano's naval fleet, said to be the oldest of the military factions because of the nation's reliance on the sea for survival. Originally starting out as small groups of fishermen, they evolved into a highly-advanced, well-seasoned naval force that goes nearly unmatched amongst the other countries. Its current leader is _.

Yùqì Jūntuán
The Yùqì Jūntuán (玉器軍團, Pinyin for "Jade Legion") is Kano's ground forces, said to be made up of a million men, the highest recording number of soldiers of any nation's army; they're considered to be the most skilled of the military factions, as they've existed since Kano's warring with invaders during its founding. Often using the terrain to their advantage and drilled with all of Kano's military strategies and tactics, they've remained unopposed for quite some time. Its current leader is _.

Wò Hǔ
The Wò Hǔ (臥虎, Pinyin for "Crouching Tiger") is Kano's backup army, made up of volunteer soldiers, mercenaries, and outside forces forcefully integrated through various means. In the event that Kano's main forces are overrun, they step in and continue the fight. Like the soldiers in the main army, those enlisted go through harsh training to prepare for future combat situations. According to the emperor, they're the most well-rounded of the factions, being skilled in various military areas — but specialize in guerilla combat and surprise attacks. Its current leader is _.

Hàoqí Dexuézhě
The Hàoqí Dexuézhě (好奇的學者, Pinyin for "Inquisitive Scholar") is Kano's intelligence division, gathering information to further integrate into their various military strategies. Composed of both well-seasoned spies and scientists, the division focuses on espionage, diplomacy, interrogation, and assassinations. Unlike the other factions, this was recently created in the last twenty years due to the need of keeping tabs on the rest of the world while remaining isolated and neutral. Like the naval fleet, the technology used by this division is highly advanced. Its current leader is _.

Juéduì Shùnxù
The Juéduì Shùnxù (絕對順序, Pinyin for "Absolute Order") is Kano's police force, in charge of keeping the peace in Kano at all times; through the emperor's blessing, the tactics used by this force are rather strict — making it impossible for citizens to oppose them. Regardless, they're not corrupt as their powers kept in check by the emperor's representatives and those in the intelligence division and noted to maintain a very positive relationship with the empire's citizens. The emperor notes that many citizens would join this faction because of "certain benefits" it grants them; not surprisingly, this division works with the reserves during wartime to ensure the safety of its citizens while driving off invaders. Its current leader is _.

Huáng Tiānlóng
The Huáng Tiānlóng (黃天龍, Pinyin for "Yellow Heaven Dragon") is the most powerful of the eight divisions because of their duty of protecting the emperor, the Imperial Family, and the capital of Shangdu. Unlike the other divisions, which are spread out throughout the continent, this division is heavily focused in Shangdu — leaving it whenever the emperor or his family go out for business. According to Kaisei, members of Huáng Tiānlóng are personally handpicked and trained by the emperor, thus each member is considerably powerful; however, they're small in number, having less than or equal to one hundred members. Its current leader is _.

Kāimíng Dehéshàng
The Kāimíng Dehéshàng (開明的和尚, Pinyin for "Enlightened Monk") is Kano's cultural division that upholds the empire's values and traditions over the last few millennia; according to the emperor, they're in charge of special events and celebrations while focusing on bringing the citizens together. In addition, they're in charge of religious practices, philosophy, and educational measures in the empire, making sure that everyone has a right to participate in the three so long it doesn't disrupt Kano's now-delicate infrastructure. Many scholarly institutions and places of worship are linked with, funded by, and answer to this division. Its current leader is _.

Eight Immortals
"The ninth unsung military faction and the embodiment of Kano's might. Though small in number, they're the greatest assets the country has to offer. A combination of power and wisdom, these eight individuals can shape the entirety of the continent if it weren't for their loyalty to the emperor. Though they may not be as strong or influential as the, they have the vast amount of potential to nearly reach that precipice."

- Meilin's summary of the Eight Immortals.

The Bāxiān (八仙, Pinyin for "Eight Immortals") is the final and strongest military force in the empire, considered to be Kano's last resort before the Jade Emperor's intervention. Made up of eight powerful individuals who lead the other eight military forces, their strength is rumored to be unrivaled by all but a select few in the Imperial Family. They were personally selected and harshly trained by the emperor himself, thus serve as one of the two embodiments of his authority. Though it's unknown how exactly powerful each one is, however, collectively, they're all known to be stronger than a Pirate captain and incredibly wise and skilled individuals — having the potential to combat any threat made against them or their homeland. Kaisei notes that each generation of the Bāxiān changes with the removal of a Royal Family, and the current generation is noted to be the strongest in Kano's history. Unlike the other military factions, there's no official leader, and typically, all answer to the emperor; they're the second-most-influential force throughout the continent, and known to be fiercely loyal to their ruler, the family, their country, and even themselves.

The Yellow City
Shangdu (上都, Pinyin for "Upper Capital"), also known as the Yellow City (黄市, Kishi) — the color associated with most of Kano's rulers and royal families, is the capital of the empire where a large portion of the population resides. It's existed since the nation's founding, growing with the progression of time. It's noted to be one of the largest cities in the world. It's counterpart is Zhōngdū (中都, Pinyin for "Middle Capital"), Kano's largest providence.

Imperial Family
It's common knowledge that there were many royal families that ruled over Kano, including the infamous gang — the, each one representing a certain ideology on how the nation should be ruled. Through the progression of the country's history, over 40 royal families were exiled or assassinated by other factions — destroying and rebuilding Kano each time. Currently, the Xiaotian Clan serve as the nation's rulers and noted to be the most powerful and numerous thus far, not counting its faction members, having over one hundred family members — splitting into the main and branch families respectively. Their ideology is "In order to understand the world, one must understand themselves.", which is the foundation of their political views and how Kano should be ruled. Though it may seem passive to many citizens, such an ideology helped slowly rebuild the country while connecting its citizens to their roots — something lost due to the constant in-fighting. Due to this fact, the Xiaotian Clan are often called the "Sage Clan of Heavenly Jade" (天津翠玉の哲人族, Amatsu Suigyoku no Tetsujinzoku).

Trivia

 * Like most places in the One Piece universe, the Kano Country is based on a real-life location, which in this case, is obviously.
 * To this extent, most images and terminology in this article will be derived from various manhua (usually based in Chinese environments) and manga that portray China in some fashion.