One Piece was the final franchise to get on stage throughout Bounce Festa 2026, as regular. The annual occasion, sponsored by Shueisha, is the most important celebration of anime and manga in Japan, and it is also the place the most well liked information concerning the upcoming 12 months is shared, normally. One Piece will get the most important highlight yearly, and whereas Bounce Festa 2026 was missing large bulletins for the franchise, it was revealed that the subsequent story arc might present the ultimate vacation spot on this lengthy journey: Chuckle Story, the island the place the One Piece waits.
The Bounce Festa lineup was packed, and it included a spectacular trailer for JoJo’s Weird Journey: Metal Ball Run, and the announcement of a particular anime episode for My Hero Academia, which can adapt the additional last chapter printed within the final quantity of the manga. One Piece opened with a retrospective on Tony Tony Chopper, the Straw Hats’ pretty physician, which spotlighted his greatest moments from the manga, earlier than the anime voice actors took turns in a mock competitors to see who would voice Chopper within the dwell motion. Clearly, Ikue Otani, who voices Chopper within the anime, received, and it was confirmed she may also give her voice to the character within the Japanese dub for Netflix’s present. Then, a teaser for the brand new season of the anime, the Elbaph Arc, was proven, revealing it is going to start on April 5, 2026.
Yearly, followers hold their eyes on the announcement shared through the occasion by One Piece’s creator Eiichiro Oda. Whereas his phrases are all the time a bit cryptic, this can be a nice teaser of what is to return subsequent 12 months for the best-selling manga. This 12 months, Oda’s message was as follows (translated by @sandmap_AP on X):
“Concerning anime movie, I’ve not been informed that I’m allowed to say this, however this can’t actually be known as easy progress. Nonetheless, this may make folks say, “Oda really mentioned it, hurry up!” haha. It’s positively a subject lots of you’re inquisitive about, so please wait very patiently.
Since it’s Bounce Festa, let me discuss concerning the manga itself.
After a really lengthy flashback, or relatively after letting you study a little bit of historical past about Elbad, we return to the current. As we come again to the current, the best way Elbaf seems ought to develop into clear, after which **growth**, we finish it in a flashy manner. From right here on, issues develop into very robust.
We’re heading to **that island** which solely the Pirate King was ever capable of attain!!? The person marked by flame may also seem. Characters who by no means had the prospect to fulfill will lastly encounter one another. These two will meet, and people two will meet as properly.
Subsequent 12 months may be an encounter pageant. The story will transfer at excessive pace, however with out realizing it I’ve grown older, so whereas additionally caring for my very own life and well being, I’ll proceed crusing on the highest pace One Piece has ever had, regular and highly effective, once more subsequent 12 months. What lies forward is a pageant. Please sit up for it very a lot.”
Essentially the most fascinating a part of the message is definitely the point out of the island that was solely reached by the Pirate King. Oda could possibly be referring to Chuckle Story, the legendary resting place of the One Piece treasure, which might solely be discovered by gathering the 4 Highway Poneglyphs. The final folks to set foot on that island had been Gol D. Roger and his crew, in order that signifies that followers might lastly get their first glimpse on the One Piece, or no less than at its location, in 2026.
2026 might be an enormous 12 months for the One Piece franchise. The anime will swap to a seasonal manufacturing mannequin, specializing in guaranteeing the very best high quality attainable to followers, even when it signifies that solely 26 episodes will come out. An anime remake, produced by Studio WIT, can be in manufacturing, however there is no such thing as a information about its launch. Season 2 of the live-action present will premiere in March, and a 3rd season has already been confirmed. The manga additionally retains marching towards its epic conclusion, however that is nonetheless just a few years away, fortunately.
