One piece. (Left to Right) Taz Skyler as Sanji, Jacob Romero as Usopp, McKenna as Roronoa Zoro, Iñaki Godoy as Monkey D. Luffy, Emily Rudd as Nami, Charitra Chandran as Miss Wednesday in One Piece. Ten million. Sophie Holland/Netflix © 2025
Grab your straw hat and plenty of water, because Netflix is officially heading to the desert. In a new announcement today, Netflix confirmed that the highly anticipated third season of the live-action One Piece will be titled One Piece: Battle of Alabasta And is expected to officially hit our screens in 2027. Honestly, this won’t be a huge surprise to anyone, as the writing has been on the wall for quite some time, but it is a welcome confirmation.
This news comes on the heels of the show’s massive second season. One Piece Season 2: Into the Grand Line continues to be a heavy hitter for the streamer, racking up 33.8 million views in its third week, with more numbers coming later today. At the same time, the number of views has decreased by approximately 33% compared to the first season.
According to sources, season 3 is currently in production in Cape Town, South Africa and is shaping up to be the crew’s most ambitious journey yet with plans to wrap up production in August. Here’s everything we learned from today’s announcement, including confirmed story arcs, newly announced cast members, and what showrunners have to say about the road ahead.
What is the story of One Piece Season 3?
As the new title suggests, season 3 will fully adapt the beloved Alabasta arc from Eiichiro Oda’s famous manga. After taking on Princess Vivi at the end of Season 2, Monkey D. Luffy and the Straw Hat crew are headed straight into a political powder keg.
Netflix released the official synopsis for the third season today (via). Nexus Point News):
“War is coming to Monkey D. Luffy and the Straw Hat crew in the desert kingdom of Alabasta, the homeland of Princess Vivi. A rebellion threatens to tear the country apart, secretly instigated by one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, the ruthless Sir Crocodile and his underground syndicate Baroque Works, who seek to conquer Alabasta for themselves. In a season defined by unbreakable bonds and impossible choices, the Straw Hats must face a brewing civil war and a powerful warlord to save Vivi’s kingdom before it falls into the sand.”
Co-showrunners, writers and executive producers Joe Tracz and Ian Stokes expressed immense excitement about finally getting access to this important story.
“For many One Piece fans, Alabasta is the arc that has stuck with them as Nakama for life, combining Oda-san’s incredible talent for world-building and memorable characters into a story that is thematically rich, emotionally gripping, and visually stunning,” the duo shared in a statement from Netflix. “Getting to know this story has been a dream for our team since the live-action series began. We’re excited to be producing Season 3 right now. We’ll see you in Alabasta – it’s going to be epic!”
We recently spoke with Joe Tracz at What’s on Netflix, where he assured fans that the fantasy elements of Alabasta – including fan-favorite creatures like the Karoo and the Kung Fu Dugong – won’t be left on the cutting room floor. “I think One Piece would be a very boring show without creatures,” Trax told us. “We’d always rather do something than do nothing. It’s about finding the best way for us to do it that feels like it’s the most fun.”
The scale of production for Season 3 is huge. As Joe Tracz recently told us, the show is using a massive production setup to capture Oda’s world. Tracz explained, “We have two units shooting everything at the same time, stunts, drama, spectacle. So it’s like you’re making two shows at once.” “We have a third unit just for stunts so that there are no surprises on the day and everything is safe.”
Image Credit: Netflix
Due to the heavy visual effects required to bring Crocodile’s sand powers, Chopper, and the massive desert battles to life, Netflix has confirmed a 2027 release date for Season 3. While the exact month is secret, the extended post-production timeline ensures that the VFX team has the time needed to fulfill Oda-san’s “poetry on realism” mandate. Our prediction is for it to happen in the summer at the earliest.
Are you excited for One Piece: The Battle of Alabasta? Let us know in the comments below! For more information about Season 3 a pieceKeep it locked to What’s on Netflix here.
