Summary:
- The One Piece anime will take a three-month break before the highly anticipated Elbaf Arc begins.
- Toei Animation confirms a new seasonal format with fewer episodes starting in 2026.
- Here’s everything you need to know about why reading the One Piece manga is better than waiting for the anime.
If you ever thought about continuing the One Piece manga instead of the anime, this might be the best time to do it. With the One Piece anime now going on a three-month break from January to March 2025, your only option to resume Luffy’s adventure is by reading the manga. Here’s why reading the manga is the best option right now.
Major Changes Happening with One Piece Anime
In a recent announcement, Toei Animation confirmed that the One Piece anime will go on hiatus from January to March 2025 and return with the Elbaf Arc in April 2025. Aside from this, the studio also mentioned that starting in 2026, One Piece will only have 26 episodes a year, split into two cours.
The studio further said starting with the Elbaf Arc, they will now adapt one manga chapter per episode. This change marks One Piece’s transition from a weekly anime to a seasonal format for the first time since it began airing 26 years ago.
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How Long Will It Take for the One Piece Anime to Catch Up to the Manga?
With all these recent changes, it will now take the One Piece anime more than two years to catch up to where the manga is now. The recent Episode 1147 covered manga Chapter 1113, while the manga is currently on Chapter 1164 as of November 2025 – a 51-chapter gap.
Covering this gap will take Toei nearly two years to reach Chapter 1164, while the manga continues its weekly release in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine.
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Why Is Reading the One Piece Manga Better Than Watching the Anime Now?
With One Piece now in its final saga, there will be plenty of revelations, and fans will be discussing them everywhere online. No matter how hard you try to avoid spoilers, you’ll eventually come across them online, and they’ll ruin your experience.
The best way to enjoy One Piece is by avoiding major spoilers. However, with the anime now shifting to a seasonal format, it will likely lag about three years behind the manga.
So, if you don’t want to be spoiled on some of the biggest revelations in One Piece history, you should consider reading the manga instead.
