One Piece manga release schedule: When are new chapters out?
With One Piece entering its Final Saga, new chapters are coming out on a regular basis!
Publishing its first instalments in 1997, the One Piece manga series is an ambitious read, clocking in at more than 1,100 chapters to date.
The brainchild of writer/artist Eiichiro Oda, One Piece has also been adapted into a long-running anime show and a live-action Netflix series, introducing the adventures of the young pirate Monkey D Luffy and his crew.
This epic tale is famous for its sprawling story arcs and expansive cast, loosely structured around Monkey D Luffy's quest to find a mysterious treasure known as the One Piece.
Right now, the manga is in the middle of its 33rd story arc, titled the Elbaf arc – named after the fictional Elbaf Island location. New chapters are still being published on a regular basis, released in Japan in Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine. However, the release schedule can be a little confusing for new readers, particularly overseas.
To learn more about One Piece's publishing schedule (and how to read the manga online), read on!
One Piece manga release schedule: When are new chapters out?
One Piece typically publishes two or three new chapters each month.
The manga is still written and drawn by its original creator Eiichiro Oda, and since he's only one mortal man, he does need to take breaks. That's why One Piece doesn't update every single week.
Longtime readers will already be familiar with this format, where new chapters arrive once a week for two or three weeks, and then there's a brief pause before the next part.
For instance, here's the schedule for December 2024, with new chapters arriving in Shōnen Jump magazine:
- 2nd December
- 9th December
- 23rd December
Basically, there's no new chapter for the third week of December because Oda is taking a break.
Where can I read One Piece?
English-language readers can find the One Piece manga online at Viz.com.
The most recent few chapters are typically free to read online, but if you want to catch up with the whole series you'll have to pay a subscription fee. Or, of course, buy the collected volumes in hard copy format.
How many chapters will there be in One Piece's Elbaf Arc?
The Elbaf Arc (sometimes translated as the Elbaph Arc) began with chapter 1,126 on 16th September 2024.
Eiichiro Oda hasn't revealed how long this storyline will take, but fans are speculating that it will be one of the more complex arcs, meaning it will probably have a chapter count in the double figures.
(One Piece's longest arc so far, the Wano Country Arc, clocked in at an impressive 149 chapters.)
What is the plot of the One Piece manga in 2024?
The Elbaf Arc is the second part of One Piece's "Final Saga" - which is, in theory, the end of the journey for this epic series.
Early chapters in the arc see Monkey D Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates travel to Elbaf Island, with Blackbeard and the Red Hair Pirates expected to play major roles.
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Authors
Gavia Baker-Whitelaw is a freelance critic and entertainment journalist specialising in geek culture, TV and film. She has written for numerous outlets including Empire, TV Guide, Wired and Vulture, and hosts the film podcast Overinvested.
