One Piece Season 3 Star Xolo Maridueña Shares His Physical Prep for Portgas D. Ace Role

Xolo Maridueña is training hard to become Portgas D. Ace in the next season of Netflix’s live-action One Piece. The actor, known for Cobra Kai and Blue Beetle, posted a picture online showing his workout results and the character’s famous hat and goggles. This gives fans their first look at his version of the popular character, Luffy’s older brother. Production for Season 3 is now happening in Cape Town, South Africa.

Xolo Maridueña has shown on his Instagram that he is already in Cape Town and physically preparing to play Ace in 'ONE PIECE' Season 3. pic.twitter.com/uQmeEYDSv2

— Nexus Point News (@NexusPointNews) December 10, 2025

Xolo Maridueña’s Transformation for the Role of Ace

The actor has been getting into shape for the role of the powerful “Fire Fist” Ace. In a recent online post from Cape Town, he showed a look inspired by the anime character. The picture did not show his face, but it focused on his build and some of Ace’s key items.

The image included an ace playing card, the character’s well-known orange bucket hat, and goggles.

This post shows Maridueña is working hard to match the strong, athletic look of the character from the manga and anime. Portgas D. Ace is famous in the story for his strength and his power to control fire.

Who Is Portgas D. Ace in the One Piece Story?

Portgas D. Ace is a very important character. He is the older adopted brother of the main hero, Monkey D. Luffy. They are not related by blood, but they promised to be brothers as kids, and their bond is a key part of the story. He was raised alongside Luffy by their grandfather, Monkey D. Garp.

Ace is also secretly the biological son of the legendary Gol D. Roger, the original Pirate King. This family secret is very important to the whole story of One Piece. Before joining the famous Whitebeard Pirates, Ace was the captain of his own crew, the Spade Pirates. He earned the nickname “Fire Fist” Ace after eating a Devil Fruit called the Mera Mera no Mi, which gave him the power to create and control fire.

Season 3 Production and New Cast Details

Filming for One Piece Season 3 officially started in late November 2025 in Cape Town. The main cast from the first season is back for this new adventure. This includes Iñaki Godoy as Luffy, Mackenyu as Zoro, Emily Rudd as Nami, Jacob Romero as Usopp, and Taz Skylar as Sanji.

They are not alone. Several actors introduced in the upcoming Season 2 have been made main cast members for Season 3. These promoted actors are:

• Mikaela Hoover as the reindeer-boy Tony Tony Chopper
• Joe Manganiello as the mysterious Mr. 0
• Lera Abova as Miss All Sunday
• Sendhil Ramamurthy as Nefertari Cobra

New actors joining for Season 3 include Cole Escola, a Broadway star, who will play the theatrical assassin Bon Clay. The showrunners for Season 3 will be Joe Tracz and Ian Stokes. The creator of the original One Piece manga, Eiichiro Oda, remains an executive producer on the series.

What to Expect in One Piece Season 2 Before Season 3 Arrives

While Season 3 is already being filmed, fans will first see Season 2, titled One Piece: Into the Grand Line. It is scheduled to be released on March 10, 2026.

The story will follow Luffy and his Straw Hat crew as they finally enter the dangerous and wonderful Grand Line sea. They will face stronger enemies and visit strange new islands on their search for the treasure. This season will introduce other new characters, including Charithra Chandran as Miss Wednesday.

Netflix announced the renewal for Season 3 in August 2025, even before Season 2 premiered. This early renewal shows the streaming service has strong confidence in the continued success of the live-action adaptation.

Also Read: Heroes Next Door Cast and Characters Guide: Meet the Team of ENA’s Action Comedy

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