What to expect from the One Piece anime when it returns

As the One Piece anime inches closer towards the Wano arc’s conclusion, fans are beginning to lament each weekly break between episodes. It is even more difficult to accept that the current extended break the anime series is on leaves fans without a new installment for several weeks.

The official return date for the series is Sunday, March 19, 2023, in JST. This leaves fans without a new episode for roughly three weeks. However, when the One Piece anime returns, fans will be treated to a truly exceptional stretch of the series which will begin the road to the Wano arc’s climax.

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One Piece anime is set to have non-stop fights upon return in mid-March

The One Piece anime will continue its focus on the Sanji versus Queen battle upon returning from the break. This is where the anime left off before starting its break and is the most logical place to dive back into upon its return. As such, the source material stays true to the Sanji versus Queen fight, with minimal interruptions until its conclusion.

If the anime chooses to stray its focus from Sanji's battle against Queen, this will most likely be to update fans on Yamato and Momonosuke’s situation. With the two currently trying to prevent Onigashima from crashing should Luffy beat Kaido or weaken him enough to deactivate his Flame Clouds, it’s the only other Onigashima event worth cutting to.

Once Sanji versus Queen is wrapped up, fans can count on the One Piece anime to provide a brief update on Luffy's fight against Kaido before diving into Zoro versus King. With Luffy and Kaido’s fight likely set to be the last major bout to wrap up, it’s safe to assume that both Sanji and Zoro’s battles will be fully wrapped up before the focus is affixed to the "main event."

One exception to this could be Raizo versus Fukurokuju, which is taking its sweet time wrapping up. If this battle ends up finishing after Luffy versus Kaido, it will most likely be due to the role it plays in securing Onigashima’s safety. In addition to the explosives that Yamato and Momonosuke are handling, there is a section of Onigashima on fire, as seen in previous episodes.

Returning to the Zoro versus King fight, fans can expect one of the Straw Hat swordsman’s best and most engaging bouts yet. His face-off with King gives him a true equal for the first time in the post-time-skip One Piece (excluding the 2v5 Worst Generation versus Yonko fight).

Finally, Kaido and Luffy’s rubber match will serve as the ultimate climax to the Wano arc, likely seeing the Fifth Yonko overpower and dethrone one of the group’s legitimate members. This will also liberate Wano in the process, achieving all of the major goals the Wano arc needs to achieve before coming to an end.

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Follow along for more One Piece anime, manga, film, and live-action news as 2023 progresses.