One Piece was the last franchise to get on stage during Jump Festa 2026, as usual. The annual event, sponsored by Shueisha, is the biggest celebration of anime and manga in Japan, and it’s also where the hottest news about the upcoming year is shared, usually. One Piece gets the biggest spotlight every year, and while Jump Festa 2026 was lacking big announcements for the franchise, it was revealed that the next story arc could show the final destination in this long journey: Laugh Tale, the island where the One Piece waits.
The Jump Festa lineup was packed, and it included a spectacular trailer for JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run, and the announcement of a special anime episode for My Hero Academia, which will adapt the extra final chapter published in the last volume of the manga. One Piece opened with a retrospective on Tony Tony Chopper, the Straw Hats’ lovely doctor, which spotlighted his best moments from the manga, before the anime voice actors took turns in a mock competition to see who would voice Chopper in the live action. Obviously, Ikue Otani, who voices Chopper in the anime, won, and it was confirmed she will also give her voice to the character in the Japanese dub for Netflix’s show. Then, a teaser for the new season of the anime, the Elbaph Arc, was shown, revealing it will begin on April 5, 2026.
Every year, fans keep their eyes on the announcement shared during the event by One Piece’s creator Eiichiro Oda. While his words are always a bit cryptic, this is a great teaser of what’s to come next year for the best-selling manga. This year, Oda’s message was as follows (translated by @sandmap_AP on X):
“Regarding anime film, I have not been told that I am allowed to say this, but this cannot really be called smooth progress. Still, this might make people say, “Oda actually said it, hurry up!” haha. It is definitely a topic many of you are curious about, so please wait very patiently.
Since it is Jump Festa, let me talk about the manga itself.
After a very long flashback, or rather after letting you learn a bit of history about Elbad, we return to the present. As we come back to the present, the way Elbaf appears should become clear, and then **boom**, we end it in a flashy way. From here on, things become very tough.
We are heading to **that island** which only the Pirate King was ever able to reach!!? The man marked by flame will also appear. Characters who never had the chance to meet will finally encounter each other. Those two will meet, and those two will meet as well.
Next year might be an encounter festival. The story will move at high speed, but without realizing it I have grown older, so while also taking care of my own life and health, I will continue sailing at the highest speed One Piece has ever had, steady and powerful, again next year. What lies ahead is a festival. Please look forward to it very much.”
The most interesting part of the message is surely the mention of the island that was only reached by the Pirate King. Oda could be referring to Laugh Tale, the legendary resting place of the One Piece treasure, which can only be found by gathering the four Road Poneglyphs. The last people to set foot on that island were Gol D. Roger and his crew, so that means that fans could finally get their first glimpse at the One Piece, or at least at its location, in 2026.
2026 will be a big year for the One Piece franchise. The anime will switch to a seasonal production model, focusing on guaranteeing the highest quality possible to fans, even if it means that only 26 episodes will come out. An anime remake, produced by Studio WIT, is also in production, but there is no news about its release. Season 2 of the live-action show will premiere in March, and a third season has already been confirmed. The manga also keeps marching toward its epic conclusion, but that’s still a few years away, luckily.