One Piece‘s anime returns after a brief hiatus this month with the highly anticipated Elbaph Arc. The story takes the Straw Hat Pirates on a new adventure as they finally visit the fabled land of the Giants. While the anime made its official return on Crunchyroll on April 4th, Netflix began streaming it a week later. The anime has changed its schedule for the first time since its debut, and it will release 26 episodes each year, following a seasonal format. While the Elbaph Arc is ongoing, Netflix is also planning to bring some of the previous episodes to its library. Aside from the Egghead and the Elbaph Arcs, the streaming giant currently has only 822 episodes of the anime, leaving the Whole Cake Island Arc incomplete. Since 2020, Netflix has been adding arcs by dividing them into seasons or different parts, so fans can finally stream it all in one go.
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According to What’s on Netflix, the streaming service will add another set of episodes on May 1st, 2026, bringing the episode count to at least 835. The Whole Cake Island Arc is split into eight parts, three of which have already been added. More parts will be added in the next few months, and the dates will be revealed later. Following this arc, the anime will have to include the Wano Country Saga, one of the longest Sagas in the story, to finally stream all the available episodes.
What Happens in One Piece‘s Whole Cake Island Arc?
The arc takes place after the Straw Hats were split into two teams during the Zou Arc. The team with Zoro, Robin, and the others heads towards Wano with Trafalgar Law and members of the Kozuki Clan. On the other hand, Luffy, Nami, and the rest of the team invade the stronghold of Big Mom, one of the four Emperors of the Sea. Sanji had to leave the crew after being threatened by his family to marry one of Big Mom’s daughters and form an alliance with the pirate crew.
However, Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates have no intention of letting Sanji go, especially when he’s being forced to leave his dream behind. Although the crew manages to sneak into Big Mom’s territory, the reunion doesn’t go as planned. The arc is especially crucial for Sanji as it not only reveals his backstory before he met Zeff, but also helps him break free from the shackles of his past. Furthermore, the crew will find another piece of the puzzle to reach Laughtale, as it has long been revealed that Big Mom possesses one of the Road Poneglyph.
While the anime is being added to the platform, fans can stream the Elbaph Arc weekly, which will introduce new characters who will play important roles in the Final Saga. The arc is still ongoing in the manga, and it’s easily the most crucial arc in the series so far, as it brings us one step closer to the endgame.
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Image courtesy of Netflix -
Image Courtesy of Netflix -
Image courtesy of 20th Century Studios
