Even almost three decades after the manga’s debut, One Piece keeps steadily rising in popularity. Eiichiro Oda’s beloved Weekly Shonen Jump series is often praised for its expansive world-building, intriguing characters, and captivating storyline that keeps readers hooked from the first chapter. Although the series has been ongoing for all these years, it’s still nowhere near its finale. The manga entered its final saga in 2022 and is currently in the middle of its Elbaph Arc. While the series has a long way to go before solving all the world’s mysteries and concluding its final arc, it’s slowly preparing for the endgame. The official X handle of the series confirmed that it has over 600 million copies in circulation worldwide.
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One Piece has long been the highest-selling manga of all time, and it continues to grow in popularity as the story progresses. It was the only manga to reach the 400 and 500 million milestones as well, and now the gap between it and other manga series has increased significantly. The second and third best-selling series are Doraemon and Golgo 13, with each having over 300 million copies sold. While One Piece commemorates the milestone with a huge reveal by Eiichiro Oda regarding the legendary treasure, the anime is all set for its return on April 5th, 2026.
One Piece’s Elbaph Arc in Anime Is Only a Month Away
Elbaph is the most highly anticipated arc so far, as fans have been waiting for the Straw Hat Pirates to visit the fabled land of the Giants for over two decades. Elbaph was first mentioned in the Little Garden Arc of the Alabasta Saga when the crew met Dorry and Brogy. Luffy and Usopp have been fascinated by the proud warriors from the country, and they finally get to travel all the way to the island.
Right after the chaotic battle in Egghead reached its conclusion, the Straw Hats headed straight towards Elbaph along with the Giants. The manga commenced the arc in 2024, and the story has solved several mysteries about the past. It also introduced one of the most powerful characters in the series and revealed major answers related to a crucial incident from a not-so-distant past. The anime went on a brief hiatus in December 2025 after concluding the Egghead Incident Arc.
The anime will return on April 5th with a new schedule to continue the journey of Luffy and his crew. The schedule has changed for the first time since the anime’s debut in 1999, as it will now release 26 episodes in one year, following a seasonal format just like most modern series. The arc will introduce several new characters, both enemies and allies. Additionally, since Elbaph carries on the legend of the Sun God Nika, fans can expect the story to expand its lore by revealing more about the forgotten past.
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