One Piece chapter 1138 confirms release schedule through mid-February

Modified Jan 27, 2025 18:00 GMT

One Piece chapter 1138 confirms release schedule through mid-February (Image via Toei Animation)

Monday, January 27, 2025 saw the release week for One Piece chapter 1138 begin, bringing with it the issue’s first spoilers which confirm there will be no break after the release. This is especially significant, as it all but officially confirms that mangaka Eiichiro Oda will be releasing four chapters in a row before taking a break. While this has happened in the past, it is extremely rare with few examples that are far between.

This news regarding the manga’s release schedule following One Piece chapter 1138 comes from X (formerly Twitter) user and reputable series leaker @pewpiece (Pew). Likewise, this information can be treated as all but official in terms of its veracity, with Pew being the main source of series leaks and spoilers for each issue.

One Piece chapter 1138 confirms a rare four releases in a row for series and mangaka Oda

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A major reason why this break news on One Piece chapter 1138 is so significant is because it marks an unexpected shift in Oda’s typical release schedule. More often than not, the mangaka will follow a three-on-one-off schedule which sees him release three chapters over the course of three weeks before taking a one-week break. For several years, this has been the schedule Oda most closely sticks to, and presumably prefers the most.

Fans also find this to be a great balance of moving the series forward while also ensuring Oda gets the rest he needs. Many even claim that switching to a bi-weekly schedule to give Oda more rest would be just as acceptable to them. Likewise, the entire community is ecstatic to see Oda giving them an unexpected fourth chapter in a row, both for the additional story content it’ll provide, and it signaling Oda’s positive health.

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As for the reason behind Oda not taking a break week following One Piece chapter 1138’s release, there’s obviously no officially confirmed or stated intent on his part. However, it likely has to do with the relatively slow release schedule the manga has faced in recent months. An unexpected health break for Oda combined with planned vacation breaks for Oda specifically and holiday magazine publication breaks led to just six chapters being released in three months.

In turn, this could be Oda trying to make up for lost time from fans, especially considering the amount of rest he likely got as a result of this infrequent cadence. However, as mentioned above, this is purely speculative with no confirmed reason behind Oda’s choice to publish a fourth issue in a row. It’s also unlikely that Shueisha says anything on Oda’s behalf as to why this is the case, meaning fans will likely never get an official answer for this exciting decision.