The manga and anime One Piece are currently the center of attention for various reasons. While the manga is just beginning the Elbaf arc, the anime is still in the Egghead arc. Luffy and his crew are set to face new challenges that are significantly more daunting than those posed by CP0, which will endanger Vegapunk’s plans. The crew has already laid out plans to escape to Elbaf, and the manga is gearing up for a new adventure featuring the Straw Hat Pirates.
Additionally, Eiichiro Oda has also hinted at several occasions regarding the meticulous process of producing the second season of Netflix’s live-action One Piece. As the Executive Producer of the series, Oda remains heavily involved in the production process of the first season.
The manga has been on hiatus multiple times due to the challenges of keeping up with the weekly publishing schedule. During the filming of the second season of the live-action One Piece, Oda traveled to Cape Town and met with the cast. This was Oda’s first visit to the One Piece live-action set, making these scheduling interruptions particularly significant. The extended hiatus of the manga and the intermittent airing of the anime have led to a particularly challenging period in the history of One Piece.
The Start of the Elbaf Arc in One Piece
The Elbaf arc is the third arc that fans have eagerly awaited since the Little Garden arc of the Arabasta Saga. After a long wait of over two decades, the manga has finally taken the Straw Hat Pirates to the Land of Giants. This arc officially began in chapter 1126, where the Straw Hat crew is split up in a short time frame.
The Road – a key narrative thread – has captured Luffy and some other members, but each crew member has escaped and encountered the giant king Loki in chapter 1130. This chapter was released on October 20, 2025, before the manga went on a three-week hiatus. After a three-month wait since the giant king Elbaf was officially introduced, the manga is only now set to release chapter 1135.
According to some fans, this is the most extended hiatus in the history of One Piece, as the manga has never taken such a lengthy break within a three-month period.
One Piece Anime to Return in April
While the manga is currently on hiatus, the anime has been on hiatus since October 2024. Toei has released a remake version of the Fish-Man Island Saga, but the Egghead arc is still in production. The anime is set to return in April 2025 and may conclude this arc within this year. Toei announced this hiatus to maintain the quality of the anime and ensure it does not deviate too much from the manga’s storyline.
One Piece is known for its meticulous storytelling, often adapting one chapter into a single episode. However, the anime is expected to resolve this issue after it resumes, as the manga has already laid out a substantial groundwork for the narrative.
The year 2025 will also be significant for fans of the One Piece live-action series as the second season is scheduled for release at the end of the year. Furthermore, while WIT Studio has yet to reveal new information regarding their adaptation, we can anticipate updates at some point this year.
