The One Piece stage presentation at the AnimeJapan 2026 event on Saturday revealed the theme song artists and new cast member, for the anime’s Elbaph arc. Singer Aina The End will perform the opening theme song “Luminous,” and rock band 36km/h will perform the ending theme song “Sono Mirai” (That Future). A new video previews the opening song “Luminous” and also reveals Yūichi Nakamura as the voice of Loki.
Yūichi Nakamura as Loki
Image via One Piece franchise’s X/Twitter account
©Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha, Toei Animation
Image via One Piece franchise’s X/Twitter account
© Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha, Toei Animation
The Elbaph arc debuts in Japan on April 5. Crunchyroll will stream the arc.
Toei Animation and One Piece anime producer Ryūta Koike announced on October 28 that the anime is reducing its annual episode output to a maximum of 26 episodes moving forward starting in 2026. Following the conclusion of the Egghead arc last year, the anime is taking a three-month production hiatus from January-March 2026. The anime will return in April 2026 for the first of two cours (quarters of a year) with the start of the new Elbaph arc.
According to Toei Animation, the new schedule will allow episodes to “incorporate more content, tempo, and pacing of the manga while continuing to leverage the unique storytelling that is only possible with animation.” Historically, with only few exceptions, the anime has aired most weeks since its premiere in 1999. However, the pace has slowed considerably over the years.
The Egghead arc in the anime debuted in January 2024. In mid-October 2024, the franchise announced that the anime’s Egghead arc would pause to “recharge,” and then the arc would continue in April 2025. Part 2 of the Egghead arc premiered with its first episode (1,123rd overall episode) on Fuji TV on April 5, 2025 and aired alongside a recap episode of Part 1 of the Egghead arc. The second episode (1,124th overall episode) aired on April 6, 2025 with its new timeslot at 11:15 p.m. JST (10:15 a.m. EDT).
During the Egghead arc’s break, One Piece Log: Fish-Man Island Saga; a 21-episode abridged version of the Fish-Man Island arc of the anime with reshot scenes, retouched art, and other improvements; aired in its place.
Source: AnimeJapan 2026 stage presentation
