The live action adaptation of “One Piece” has wasted little time moving forward. The second season debuted on Netflix today, continuing the journey of Monkey D. Luffy and his crew into the dangerous waters of the Grand Line.
According to What’s on Netflix, work on the third season has been underway for months, with filming that began in late 2025 and is expected to continue well into 2026 as the series prepares its most ambitious storyline yet.
What to Expect From ‘One Piece’ Season 3
Production on the third season is already well underway. Cameras started rolling on November 25 last year, and the lengthy schedule is expected to run until June 19. As with previous installments, filming is taking place in Cape Town, South Africa, a location that has served as the backbone of the series’ large scale sets and ocean bound spectacle.
Source: Roger Kisby/Getty Images for Netflix
With a shoot that will stretch beyond 200 days, the scale suggests another sizable investment from Netflix, where individual episodes are believed to cost roughly $15 million to $20 million, as reported by What’s on Netflix.
Narratively, the upcoming season is expected to focus largely on the Alabasta storyline. After the events introduced in the newly released second season, the Straw Hats are set to sail toward the desert kingdom where Princess Vivi seeks to stop a civil war threatening her homeland.
At the center of the conflict is Crocodile, secretly the leader of the Baroque Works organization, whose manipulation of the kingdom has pushed the country toward collapse. Luffy and his crew will find themselves drawn into the fight to expose the conspiracy and restore stability.
Most of the main cast will return for the new season, including Iñaki Godoy as Luffy, Emily Rudd as Nami, Mackenyu as Zoro, Jacob Romero Gibson as Usopp, Taz Skylar as Sanji, Mikaela Hoover as Tony Tony Chopper, and Charithra Chandran as Vivi. Several key characters introduced in the second season are also expected to appear again, including Joe Manganiello as Crocodile and Lera Abova as Nico Robin.
The third season will also introduce several new figures from the manga. Among the early additions are Xolo Maridueña as Portgas D. Ace and Tony Award winner Cole Escola as Bon Clay, alongside Awdo Awdo as Mr. 1 and Daisy Head as Miss Doublefinger. More casting announcements are likely as production continues.
As for when viewers will see the finished season, the timeline suggests patience will be required. If post production follows the pattern of the previous two installments, the next chapter of “One Piece” is unlikely to arrive before mid 2027, meaning fans who just watched the crew enter the Grand Line may be waiting another year before the story continues.
