Despite his status as one of the main crew members of the Straw Hat Pirates, Sanji up and disappeared in the One Piece manga for almost two years. He first left in chapter 730 on December 9, 2013 and didn't return until chapter 795 on August 3, 2015.

An announcement came at the annual One Piece Super Stage Event last weekend that promised to change all that. The staff and Eiichiro Oda assured fans that Sanji will return in 2016 with an origin story. Sanji's voice actor Hiroaki Hirata will also return.

Oh, you could probably guess but we'll find out the mystery of 'Alive Only' within the year. — Greg (@ochimusha108) December 20, 2015

The staff recorded the crowds' cheers at the event. The recording will be used in the anime's Dressrosa Arc.

[Via One Piece Podcast, Yahoo! Japan News]