Particle.news
Download on the App Store

One Piece Dates Elbaf Arc Return for April 5, 2026 as Anime Adopts Seasonal Model

The series will move to a seasonal schedule that targets about 26 episodes a year with each episode adapting at least one manga chapter.

Overview

  • The Elbaf arc premieres April 5, 2026 with episode 1156, and Jump Festa 2026 debuted a first teaser and key visual.
  • Toei Animation confirmed roughly 26 episodes for 2026, shifting away from weekly output to preserve quality and pacing.
  • Staff said episodes will adapt at least one manga chapter to more closely match Eiichiro Oda’s pacing and widen the anime–manga gap.
  • Oda’s Jump Festa message teased a move toward the island only the Pirate King reached—widely interpreted as Laugh Tale—and the appearance of the “man marked by flames.”
  • Oda also said a new anime film is in development but “not progressing smoothly,” while Netflix’s live-action Season 2 is slated for March 2026.