Aina The End Delivers the Theme
The trailer, shared by Japanese entertainment news site Comic Natalie, pairs new footage of Nami with Aina The End's "Blue Shining Star." The former BiSH vocalist, who performed the Dandadan Season 2 opening theme, described the song as a portrait of "women who possess strength" and "escape from the hardships of living," built on a rhythmic, danceable sound.
"In this song 'Blue Shining Star,' I depicted 'escape from the hardships of living' and women who possess strength," Aina said. "It's a rhythmic, fun song you can dance to, so I'd be happy if you enjoy it together with the anime."
Cast and Story
One Piece Heroines adapts "episode: NAMI" from Jun Esaka's One Piece novel Heroines, a light novel series published under Shueisha's JUMP j BOOKS imprint and originally serialized in ONE PIECE magazine. The story explores sides of One Piece's heroines never shown in the main series, with original elements like Robin joining the narrative.
Akemi Okamura (岡村明美) and Yuriko Yamaguchi (山口由里子) reprise their long-running roles as Nami and Robin. Two original characters round out the main cast: Miucha, voiced by Maaya Sakamoto (坂本真綾), known for Ciel Phantomhive in Black Butler, and Rubuno, voiced by Takehito Koyasu (子安武人), who played Dio Brando in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. Koyasu is already a familiar voice in the One Piece universe, having played Aokiji in the main series.
Haruka Kamatani (鎌谷悠) directs at Toei Animation (One Piece, Dragon Ball), with Takashi Kojima on character design and Momoka Toyoda on script. Sayaka Suwa (諏訪さやか), who illustrated the original novel, is credited alongside Esaka.
Looking Ahead
One Piece Heroines airs on Fuji TV on July 5, 2026, at 11:15 PM JST in a single 30-minute broadcast. No international streaming partner has been announced, though Crunchyroll holds the license for the main One Piece anime and has historically picked up franchise specials. The source novel series by Jun Esaka is published by Shueisha but has not received an official English release.