One Piece season 4

Lore & Background

The fourth season adapts the Arabasta story arc from the One Piece manga. The first 18 episodes, the Arabasta Jōriku arc, depict the Straw Hats and Nefertari Vivi arriving in Alabasta to stop an impending civil war. The remaining episodes form the Arabasta Gekidō arc, in which the protagonists defeat Baroque Works and Nico Robin joins the crew.

Reader's Guide

This season is notable for introducing the character Nico Robin as a permanent crew member. It was heavily edited for English broadcast by 4Kids Entertainment, which ran from February 25, 2006 to July 28, 2007 on Cartoon Network, retaining the same number of episodes as the original. Funimation later redubbed the series from the start for uncut DVD release, releasing the fourth season as part of 'Season Two' in three volumes: Fourth Voyage (December 15, 2009), Fifth Voyage (January 19, 2010), and Sixth Voyage (March 16, 2010). The season uses six pieces of theme music: two openings and four endings, with 4Kids using original music and Funimation using the original theme songs.

Did You Know?

• The first opening theme 'Believe' is performed by Folder5 in Japanese and Meredith McCoy in English.
• The second opening theme 'Hikari e' is performed by The Babystars in Japanese and Vic Mignogna in English.
• The fourth ending theme 'Shining Ray' is performed by Janne Da Arc in Japanese; no official English cover by Justin Houston exists.
• Funimation released the episodes of this season as part of their 'Season Two' DVD sets—labeled 'Fourth Voyage', 'Fifth Voyage', and 'Sixth Voyage'—which cover episodes 62–130, not the official anime season 4.

Production & Creative Leadership

The twenty-second season of the One Piece anime television series carries the creative imprint of Toei Animation, with Yasunori Koyama and Wataru Matsumi sharing directorial responsibilities. The season adapts material from the "Elbaph" story arc, drawing from the 111th volume and beyond of Eiichiro Oda's manga. This marks a continuation of the long-running adaptation that has followed Monkey D. Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates since the series first premiered in October 1999. The production team's task in this installment is to translate Oda's written narrative into animated form while maintaining the show's established visual language and pacing. The dual-director arrangement suggests a collaborative approach to handling what is clearly a substantial narrative stretch, given that the Elbaph arc spans multiple manga volumes. Toei Animation, as the studio behind the entire series, brings decades of accumulated experience in adapting Oda's work, making this season another chapter in a decades-long creative partnership between manga and anime production.

Broadcast Structure & Scheduling Overhaul

In October 2025, the production team announced that the series would enter a hiatus spanning January through March 2026, following the conclusion of the "Egghead" story arc. When broadcasting resumed on April 5, 2026, across Fuji Television and its FNS affiliate network, the show was set to adopt a new two-split-cours annual schedule, capping output at a maximum of 26 episodes per year going forward. Although the initial plan called for two separate cours with a break between them, the season is in fact currently airing as two consecutive cours. This represents a fundamental departure from the continuous, year-round broadcast schedule that had been in place since the series debuted in October 1999. The shift signals a recalibration of production priorities, potentially allowing for greater per-episode quality or a more sustainable workload for the animation staff. Additionally, Toei Animation indicated an intention to adapt manga chapters at a slightly faster pace than in recent preceding arcs, suggesting the new schedule would not come at the cost of falling further behind Oda's ongoing serialization.

Narrative Focus & Story Stakes

The season's narrative centers on the "Elbaph" story arc, following the Straw Hat Pirates as they arrive in the nation of Elbaph alongside the Giant Warrior Pirates. The central conflict involves the Holy Knights of God, who set their sights on annexing Elbaph on behalf of the World Government. This positions the Straw Hat crew in a role that extends beyond simple exploration or combat; they are drawn into a geopolitical struggle where a sovereign nation's independence is threatened by a larger institutional power. The presence of the Giant Warrior Pirates as fellow arrivals in Elbaph suggests a layered cast of characters and alliances that the story will need to navigate. The World Government's interest in Elbaph implies that the nation holds significance beyond its borders, whether in terms of resources, strategic location, or historical importance within the One Piece world. The Holy Knights of God serve as the antagonistic force, representing the World Government's will to expand its territorial control, creating a narrative tension between individual freedom and institutional authority that is characteristic of the series' broader thematic concerns.

Musical Identity & Thematic Soundtrack

The season's musical identity is defined by two distinct theme songs that bookend each episode. The opening theme, titled "Luminous" (ルミナス), is performed by Aina the End, a name that evokes a sense of forward momentum and brightness befitting the Straw Hat Pirates' ongoing journey. The ending theme, "Sono Mirai" (その未来), translates to "That Future" and is performed by Jisoku 36km. The pairing of these two songs creates a thematic bookend: the opening propels viewers into the present adventure with luminous energy, while the closing theme invites reflection on the future that the characters are collectively building. The choice of "That Future" as the ending title is particularly resonant given the season's narrative focus on Elbaph's sovereignty and the World Government's attempt to annex the nation—a story that is fundamentally about what future a people will have. The involvement of two separate artists for opening and closing credits also reflects the series' long tradition of rotating musical collaborators, ensuring each season carries a fresh sonic signature while maintaining the show's established emotional cadence.

Gallery