Eiichiro Oda Confirms One Piece Manga Will Take a Short Break July 12

Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece has been running for nearly 30 years, and it remains one of the best-selling manga series in the world while continuing to be serialized in Japan’s major weekly publication, Weekly Shonen Jump. Even after all these years of producing high-energy action and long-running story momentum, Oda has still managed to keep interruptions relatively short—typically stepping away for only brief stretches rather than taking prolonged time off.

Those short pauses have become a regular part of the release rhythm. In recent years, Oda’s breaks have often landed every couple of weeks, usually within a 2–3 week window. After the most recent hiatus began on June 21, 2026, a new break is now confirmed for July 19, 2026. The upcoming pause is framed as a major cliffhanger moment, with the series set to return immediately afterward on July 26, 2026.

One Piece Announces a Two-Week Break Starting July 19, 2026

Oda launched One Piece back when he was 22 years old. The series debuted on July 19, 1997, in Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #34. Now, close to 29 years later, Oda is over 50, and the pace of weekly serialization naturally comes with the realities of age and health. Because of long-standing issues, he sometimes needs quick turnarounds—resting just long enough to recuperate and come back ready to deliver the next stretch of the story.

The last scheduled break came on June 21, 2026, during the Esperia Kingdom flashback arc, which highlighted events tied to Brook and Shuri. After that, Oda published three chapters back-to-back—One Piece chapters 1186, 1187, and 1188—released later this week. From there, the manga will move into another hiatus once chapter 1188 officially releases. International readers will get chapter 1188 via Manga Plus and Viz Media on July 12, 2026. In Japan, the same chapter is set to appear in Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #33 on July 13. As a result, One Piece will skip Jump Issue #34, with the next break beginning on July 19, 2026.

One Piece is known for its bold, impactful character shifts and power-ups, and that’s true even beyond the Straw Hat Pirates.

One Piece Manga Returns With Chapter 1189 on July 26, 2026

Next week’s pause is a standard one, aligning with Oda’s usual monthly scheduling rather than signaling a prolonged interruption. That means readers can expect the story to pick up again as planned with a fresh chapter. Since chapter 1188 exits Weekly Shonen Jump on July 12, 2026, the next release—chapter 1189—is expected on July 26, 2026. That date corresponds to Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #35. Unless something unexpected forces Oda into a longer break, the magazine should be back before the end of the month.

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Elbaf Story Momentum Builds as Major Battles Begin

The manga’s periodic breaks are part of how Oda keeps himself healthy enough to continue working at the level One Piece demands. Even so, two weeks away from the story can still feel rough for fans—especially when the series is in a particularly intense phase. When it returns, there’s plenty lined up. In One Piece chapter 1187, Oda sets the stage for Sanji to unlock Conqueror’s Haki, and the ability is positioned to be used against Saint Killingham of the Holy Knights. At the same time, Roronoa Zoro’s fight is already underway, with him taking on the sword user Saint Sommers, also tied to the Holy Knights.

With all of that happening, attention is still centered on the next showdown: Luffy going up against Imu, described as both the King of the World and the so-called Devil God. After Loki managed to put up a fight but ultimately fell to Imu, it will be interesting to see how Luffy measures up in the upcoming clash. The expectation is that Imu may end up dominating, driven by overwhelming strength.

Newsletter Reminder for Deeper One Piece Insight

Even with Luffy now holding the status of a Yonko, the story frames him as still not at the level needed to directly overcome Imu and the World Government. He will need another meaningful upgrade, and Oda may showcase it in the chapters coming after the break. Either way, Luffy still has to rise to the moment—because the fate of Elbaf is placed squarely on his shoulders.

All the new chapters of Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece are available to read via Manga Plus and Viz Media.