For over 25 years, One Piece has maintained one of the most consistent airing records in anime history. The adaptation of Eiichiro Oda's manga has maintained its weekly broadcast with very few interruptions. But beginning in 2026, the series will undergo a new broadcast schedule.
Toei Animation announced that the series will be going on a three-month hiatus from January to March 2026. It will return in April 2026 with the start of the Elbaph Arc.
Its return will also mark the beginning of a new production schedule, with the anime set to release 26 episodes per year, split across two cours. Each episode will reportedly adapt one chapter of the manga. Specifics such as the number of episodes per cour and the exact start dates of each cour were not revealed.
One Piece series producer Ryuta Koike explained that the change is a "strategic decision to support the advancement and evolution of the anime series.”
One Piece is currently in the Egghead Arc, which began in January 2024 with Episode 1089. Kicking off the Final Saga, the Egghead Arc sees the Straw Hat crew arrive on Egghead Island, home to the brilliant scientist Dr. Vegapunk.
The manga, meanwhile, has since moved on to the Elbaph Arc, drawing us closer to the end of the story. Manga creator Eiichiro Oda has confirmed that the story is already in the Final Saga, but that it's expected to run for multiple arcs, so we can probably expect at least a few more years of storytelling.
Toei Animation also gave fans a sneak peek at the Elbaph Arc with a visual teaser and setting artwork.
Having begun its broadcast in October 1999, the One Piece anime is currently celebrating its 26th anniversary. One of the longest-running and most successful anime series ever made, the series consists of over 1,100 episodes. All of them can be streamed on Crunchyroll with subs and dubs.