This Could Explain the One Piece Manga’s Latest Break
Eiichiro Oda’s visits to South Africa have caused a stir as fans assume that time has been taken away from writing the manga while others defend Oda’s freedom to rest or oversee more One Piece projects.
On May 27, 2026, the official account for One Piece’s live-action Netflix adaptation posted Eiichiro Oda visiting the set for Season 3, set in Alabasta.
On the sand, we spot him drawing an image of Luffy smiling with just his finger.
Notably, he also had the “X” tattoo on his arm, the mark used by the Straw Hats to counter the Mane Mane no Mi powers of Bon Clay that evolved into a symbol of membership with Princess Vivi and Karoo.
This shows his serious investment in the live-action project, to have this tattoo done recently.
Some fans took to social media to express frustration at Oda potentially taking breaks or shortening chapters while others defended Oda’s freedom to manage his time, citing his breaks are why he is able to still do manga and live in spite of the arduous schedule he goes through.
Season 3: The Battle of Alabasta will be released in 2027.
One Piece will be on break next week and Chapter 1185 will be released on June 15, 2026.
Source: Twitter
Eiichiro Oda visited the set of the Alabasta arc for One Piece Live Action Season 3 in South Africa pic.twitter.com/m25NqsmFwp
— Pew (@pewpiece) May 27, 2026
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