The One Piece anime is making its return after a three-month break, and the production team is adding new voices to bring the long-awaited Elbaph arc to life. The latest casting announcement reveals that Ayane Sakura, known for voicing Ochaco Uraraka in My Hero Academia, has joined the series alongside Ryota Takeuchi.
The news arrived on March 23, 2026, through the official One Piece franchise X/Twitter account, confirming the two new cast members just days before the anime resumes broadcast in Japan.
Two New Giants Join the Straw Hats’ Journey
The Elbaph arc introduces viewers to the giant warriors of the legendary island, and the new cast members will voice two key characters from the New Giant Warrior Pirates crew.
Ayane Sakura will voice Gerd, the doctor of the New Giant Warrior Pirates. Sakura has built an impressive career voicing major anime characters. Her most recognized role is Ochaco Uraraka in My Hero Academia, the determined U.A. High School student with the Zero Gravity Quirk. She also voices Fiona Frost in Spy x Family and has appeared in numerous other popular series.
Ryota Takeuchi will voice Road, who serves as the navigator for the New Giant Warrior Pirates. Takeuchi is known for playing Elias Ainsworth in The Ancient Magus’ Bride and Wakatoshi Ushijima in Haikyu!!. His addition brings experience from a wide range of anime roles.
The New Giant Warrior Pirates are led by Hajrudin, a character familiar to fans who followed the Dressrosa arc. Gerd and Road have already appeared in the original manga series by Eiichiro Oda, and the anime adaptation is now bringing their voices to life.
When and Where to Watch the Elbaph Arc
The One Piece anime will resume on April 5, 2026, in Japan after a three-month production break that began in January. The hiatus was part of a new production strategy from Toei Animation, which will reduce the annual episode output to a maximum of 26 episodes starting in 2026 to improve pacing and animation quality.
For viewers outside Japan, streaming details have been confirmed across multiple platforms:
- Crunchyroll will stream the Elbaph arc on April 5, 2026, in the United States, Canada, Australia, and other regions.
- Netflix India has listed new episodes for release on April 11, 2026, continuing the Egghead arc episodes before moving into Elbaph content.
- The English dub of the final Egghead arc episodes (1144–1155) will begin arriving on March 24, 2026.
The Elbaph arc follows the conclusion of the Egghead arc, which ended with episode 1155. After years of teasing the legendary island of giants, the Straw Hats are finally heading to the home of Dorry and Brogy, characters who also appeared in the live-action One Piece season 2 on Netflix.
Comments from the New Cast Members
The official announcement noted that comments from both Ayane Sakura and Ryota Takeuchi will be published in Weekly Shonen Jump issue 18, which goes on sale on March 30, 2026. Fans eager to hear directly from the new additions to the One Piece family can look forward to their thoughts on joining one of the longest-running anime productions in history.
The main voice cast for the Elbaph arc remains consistent with the series’ longtime performers. Mayumi Tanaka continues as Monkey D. Luffy, Kazuya Nakai as Roronoa Zoro, Akemi Okamura as Nami, and Hiroaki Hirata as Sanji.
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Why the Elbaph Arc Matters for One Piece Fans
The Elbaph arc represents a story moment that manga readers have been waiting to see animated for years. The island of giants has been referenced throughout One Piece history, with characters like Dorry and Brogy introduced early in the series. The arc explores the culture and warriors of Elbaph, delivering action and world-building that fans of the manga have praised.
Toei Animation’s decision to reduce the episode count and take a production break reflects a commitment to maintaining quality. The studio stated the new schedule allows episodes to “incorporate more content, tempo, and pacing of the manga while continuing to leverage the unique storytelling that is only possible with animation”.
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