One Piece is closing out 2025 with a bang—and then taking an extended break as the beloved anime undergoes its most significant transformation in decades. The first look at the Egghead Arc finale has arrived, and it marks the end of an era for the long-running series before it returns in Spring 2026 with an entirely new production schedule.
The Final Episode of Weekly One Piece
One Piece Episode 1155, titled “The Promised Horizon – Off to the Long-Awaited Elbaph!” will air on December 28th in Japan, bringing the monumental Egghead Arc to a close. The episode will be available on Crunchyroll and Netflix shortly after its Japanese broadcast.
The preview teases a celebratory moment for the Straw Hats: “Along with the Giant Pirate Crew, the Straw Hats eat, drink, and sing up a storm! Waiting beyond the horizon is the island that they dreamed of reaching. Full of anticipation for a new quest, the Sunny sails the open sea.”
It’s a fitting send-off for what has been one of the most pivotal arcs in the anime’s history. The Egghead Arc opened up crucial questions about the world of One Piece and set Luffy and his crew on course for their next adventure at Elbaph, the long-awaited island of giants.
But this finale represents something more significant than just the end of another arc—it marks the conclusion of One Piece’s traditional weekly production cycle that has defined the series for over two decades.
A Revolutionary Schedule Change
Starting in 2026, One Piece is moving to a seasonal release format, planning to produce only 26 episodes per year instead of the roughly 50 episodes it has historically delivered through its weekly schedule. This represents a fundamental shift in how one of anime’s longest-running series will be produced and released.
The staff behind the anime revealed this change earlier in 2025, explaining that the new seasonal approach will allow for significant improvements to production quality and pacing. Most importantly, the pace of each episode will be accelerated to more closely match how creator Eiichiro Oda structures the original manga.
Under the new format, episodes are planned to adapt approximately 1.5 manga chapters each, a notable increase from the current pace. For longtime fans who have often criticized One Piece’s anime for slow pacing and extended sequences designed to prevent the show from catching up to the manga, this represents potentially welcome news.
However, as with any major format change, we won’t truly know how this new approach works in practice until the Elbaph Arc begins streaming in Spring 2026.
Why the Change Now?
The decision to move One Piece to a seasonal format follows a trend that has gained momentum across the anime industry. Seasonal production allows studios to maintain higher animation quality, gives staff more reasonable working conditions, and prevents the need for filler episodes or extended padding that has sometimes plagued long-running weekly series.
For One Piece specifically, the slower pace has been a longstanding criticism. With the manga continuously publishing and the anime needing to avoid catching up, episodes have often stretched single manga chapters across entire episodes, leading to pacing that feels sluggish compared to the source material.
By moving to 26 episodes per year and increasing the amount of manga content adapted per episode, Toei Animation aims to create a more satisfying viewing experience that respects both the source material and the audience’s time. The trade-off of fewer episodes for better pacing and production values could revitalize the anime for both longtime fans and newcomers.
When Will One Piece Return?
Fans won’t have to wait too long for the anime’s return. During Jump Festa 2026 this past weekend, Toei Animation confirmed that One Piece: Elbaph Arc will premiere on April 5th, 2026, as part of the Spring anime season.
This means approximately a three-month hiatus between the Egghead finale and the Elbaph premiere—a relatively short break compared to the multi-year gaps between seasons that some anime experience. International streaming details haven’t been announced yet, but Crunchyroll and Netflix are expected to continue providing access to the series for global audiences.
The Elbaph Arc has been highly anticipated by manga readers, as it represents the long-awaited visit to the island of giants that was first teased way back in the Little Garden arc during the Baroque Works saga. For anime-only viewers, it promises to deliver more revelations about the world of One Piece and push the Straw Hats closer to their ultimate goal of finding the One Piece treasure.
Beyond the Anime: A Busy 2026 for One Piece
The anime’s return isn’t the only major One Piece release planned for 2026. The franchise is entering an unprecedented period of multimedia expansion that will give fans multiple ways to experience the world of One Piece.
Live-Action Series: Netflix will release Season 2 of the live-action One Piece adaptation on March 10th, 2026, bringing the Loguetown, Reverse Mountain, Whisky Peak, Little Garden, and Drum Island arcs to life. The first season was a surprise hit for Netflix, earning critical acclaim and strong viewership numbers that defied the typically poor track record of live-action anime adaptations. Season 3 is already in production, demonstrating Netflix’s confidence in the property.
New Movie in Development: During Jump Festa 2026, series creator Eiichiro Oda confirmed that a new One Piece movie is currently in the works. While details remain scarce and Oda cautioned that the film is still quite far from release, this marks the continuation of One Piece’s successful theatrical presence. Previous films like One Piece Film: Red and One Piece: Stampede have been major box office successes in Japan and performed well internationally.
The Egghead Arc’s Impact
As the Egghead Arc concludes, it’s worth reflecting on its significance within the larger One Piece narrative. The arc introduced crucial lore revelations, featured the return of important characters, and showcased some of the series’ most impressive animation sequences to date.
The arc centered on the futuristic Egghead Island and the brilliant scientist Dr. Vegapunk, delivering answers to long-standing mysteries while raising new questions about the true history of the One Piece world. The confrontations with the World Government and the Marines escalated tensions to new heights, setting the stage for the final saga of One Piece.
For the anime specifically, the Egghead Arc represented some of the best animation the series has produced, with key episodes receiving enhanced production values that rivaled theatrical releases. This quality improvement bodes well for the seasonal format, suggesting that with more focused production schedules, the One Piece anime can consistently deliver this level of visual excellence.
What to Expect from Seasonal One Piece
While we won’t know exactly how seasonal One Piece will function until the Elbaph Arc premieres, we can make some educated guesses based on the stated goals.
Better Pacing: With episodes adapting 1.5 chapters instead of the current slower rate, the story should move more briskly. This could eliminate the feeling that episodes are treading water and return focus to narrative momentum.
Higher Quality Animation: Seasonal production typically allows studios to allocate resources more effectively, potentially leading to more consistent animation quality across episodes rather than reserving the best animation for key moments.
No Filler: The faster pacing and limited episode count should eliminate the need for anime-original filler content, keeping the story focused on Oda’s manga narrative.
Strategic Breaks: Rather than continuous weekly episodes with occasional breaks, the seasonal format creates natural stopping points that allow staff to rest and plan ahead.
The End of an Era
Episode 1155 marks more than just the end of the Egghead Arc—it represents the conclusion of One Piece’s traditional weekly anime format that has been a constant presence in anime fandom for over 25 years. For fans who have followed the Straw Hats’ journey week by week for decades, this change will take some adjustment.
But if the result is an anime that better captures the pacing, excitement, and artistry of Oda’s manga while treating its production staff more humanely, the change could ultimately strengthen One Piece’s legacy as one of anime’s greatest achievements.
As Luffy and the crew set sail for Elbaph, they’re not the only ones embarking on a new adventure. The One Piece anime itself is sailing toward uncharted waters with its new format, and fans around the world will be watching to see if this bold experiment pays off.
The final episode of 2025 airs December 28th. The next chapter begins April 5th, 2026. The journey continues.
