🔥 ONE PIECE FANS BRACE FOR HEARTBREAK: DEC 14 IS OFFICIALLY “NO CHAPTER DAY” – ODA’S RUSHED 1168 SCREAMS HE’S BURNING OUT, LEAVING US STARVING FOR LOKI VS HARALD UNTIL DEC 21! 😭⏳

One Piece has enjoyed quite a successful 2025, with the popularity of the Elbaf arc making the series the most sold manga in Japan once again after 8 years. At the same time, the series is taking fewer breaks than ever before, with Oda having taken more breaks last year than this year. Clearly, One Piece’s release schedule, as well as popularity, is only getting better.

However, fans must also realize that Oda’s breaks are always going to be a part of the schedule. Some fans might have been expecting a new One Piece chapter on the coming Sunday, but since Oda has already delivered three chapters in a row now, it is quite clear that One Piece will be on break, which means that it is going to be quite a sad day for the fans who were expecting to see the legendary battle between Loki and King Harald unfold finally in One Piece chapter 1169.

One Piece Will Not Be Getting A New Chapter On December 14

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One Piece has been on a consistent release schedule over the last 3 weeks. Quite a few times this year, Oda took a break after just two chapters. However, he has once again shifted back to a break after every three chapters more recently. Of course, this puts more strain on Oda, but he wants to conclude his story in the best way possible, as well as flesh out the various events that he wants to focus on as much as possible.

To do that, Oda is once again dropping three chapters in a row, followed by a break. Since One Piece delivered three chapters in a row, it is time for Oda to take his own much-deserved break after One Piece chapter 1168.

Had Oda not taken a break, One Piece chapter 1169 would’ve dropped on December 14th. However, since it has now been confirmed that One Piece will be on break this week, there will not be any chapter on December 14, 2025.

Instead, One Piece chapter 1169 will be pushed back to December 21, 2025. One Piece chapter 1169 will also be the last chapter of the year, because of the holidays, which means the series will return in 2026.

Eiichiro Oda Is Taking A Break To Recharge

While not all fans will have noticed this, Oda needs a break desperately at this point in time. Last week’s One Piece chapter 1168 was way shorter than the usual chapter, and it also had unfinished art. This happened once in the Egghead Arc as well, and now, it has happened once again, which means that Oda struggled to submit the manuscript to Jump on time.

This is quite clearly an indication of the fact that Oda is overworked and needs a break. A one-week break is not enough for Oda to relax properly, but it is better than nothing.

Jump has been allowing Oda to take breaks more frequently since the last few years, and that is why fans now get a break after every three chapters of One Piece. This also allows One Piece to deliver consistent quality and art without any compromise.

The Next Month Will Be Difficult For One Piece Fans

Image by Viz Media

While One Piece chapter 1168 is followed by a break, fans would do well to remember that the next month for the manga will be quite difficult. One Piece chapter 1169, which will drop after the break week, will be followed by another break. Then, One Piece chapter 1170, which will drop in January, will be followed by another break. And One Piece Chapter 1171 will probably be followed by Oda’s own break.

Quite clearly, the upcoming schedule of One Piece is looking difficult for the fans, and this is due to the holiday period. As things stand, fans are looking at just four chapters in about 2 months, which might be depressing for some, but at the very least, Oda will get some time off, which is a win for every One Piece fan.

Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece focuses on the journey of Monkey D. Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates as they sail the seas to lay claim to the grand treasure known as the One Piece. The manga is currently in its Final Saga. One Piece will be featured in this week’s Weekly Shonen Jump Issue. The official release date of One Piece Chapter 1169 is December 21, 2025. In Japan, One Piece drops at 12AM JST on Monday, which is 11:00 AM EST, or 8:00 AM PT. Fans can read the chapter for free on Manga Plus and the Shonen Jump apps. Doing so will ensure that fans always support the author.