One Piece, the long-running manga series by Eiichiro Oda, has been adapted into an animated series since 1999 by Toei Studios. For over two decades, the show aired continuously every Sunday, but last year, Toei announced a shift to a traditional seasonal format to improve production quality and timelines. This Sunday, September 27, marked the end of the current season of One Piece, which aired from April 5 to September 27 on Crunchyroll and Netflix. The season covered the first half of the Erbaf narrative arc, a story arc announced over 20 years ago. In this arc, the Straw Hat crew, after escaping the Marine blockade on the island of Egghead, found refuge in Erbaf, the mythical homeland of the giants. The crew reunited with historical figures such as Brogy, Dorry, Oimo, Kashii, Saul, and Hajrudin, and met the cursed prince of Erbaf, Loki. However, the peace was short-lived as Erbaf was attacked by divine knights sent by the World Nobles. A battle ensued between the heroes and the knights, including Shamrock, Gunko, Sommers, and Killingham. The season ended with a cliffhanger: the arrival of Imu, the "King of the world," who took control of Gunko's body through a possession phenomenon, demonstrating powerful abilities and hinting at a darker second part of the Erbaf arc. Following the broadcast of 25 episodes, the animated series One Piece enters its first seasonal hiatus. Viewers will have to wait several months for the continuation of the Erbaf arc, which is still ongoing in the manga published weekly in Japan. Toei Animation has not made any official statements regarding the return date of the series, but previous statements suggested a maximum of 25 or 26 episodes per year. Given that 25 episodes were broadcast in 2026, it is likely that the anime will not return before 2027. Fans can look forward to several releases to ease the wait. Netflix will release a mini-animated series in collaboration with Lego starting September 29. In February 2027, Netflix will unveil a new animated adaptation of the first arcs of the manga titled The One Piece, produced by Wit Studios. Additionally, 2027 is expected to mark the return of the live-action series for its third season, also on Netflix.