The One Piece Podcast – Episode 867: “Holding Space for Shanks”

Date: May 5, 2025
Host: Maji Media
Special Guests: Joel Ruiz, Evan Brando, Shannon Strucci
Main Hosts/Panel: Zach Delaney (aka Delaney), Vero, Steve Yurko

Overview

In this lively, freewheeling episode, the One Piece Podcast crew embarks on a special, meme-filled sidetrack as the manga is on break and regular co-host Greg is on vacation. The panel, featuring recurring guests from the Atlanta-based “Do You Validate?” network, dives into a special “Boyfriend Bracket” for One Piece’s DILFs and daddies—who'd make the best partner, father, and, crucially, is the most “fuckable.” The cast also offers a lightning round on One Piece favorites, a no-holds-barred fanfiction statistics quiz (the Yaoi Thunderdome), and an in-depth anime recap.

Tone: Chaotic, explicit, queer, affectionate, and irreverent—a celebration of both One Piece and fandom culture.

Introductions & Episode Context

[01:02]

• Zach Delaney introduces the episode, noting there’s no new manga; the panel will instead focus on "fucked up gay shit"—jokingly warning uninterested listeners to skip.

Notable Quote

Vero [03:29]: “If you don’t like when we’re weird and gay, just put the episode down right now.”

Lightning Round: One Piece Favorites

[05:25–11:04]

Straw Hat Preferences

Evan Brando:

• Favorite Straw Hat: Frankie – “He’s exuberant... maybe dating Robin, got cool hair—but I don't like the buzz cut.”
• Favorite Non-Straw Hat: Trafalgar D. Law – “I love a dumbass and a bad hat. No one is scuzzier.”
• Favorite Villain: Big Mom (runner-up: Buggy—“everyone’s favorite fail son”)
• Favorite Arc: Marineford or Whole Cake (“Toss up, depends on the day, both so good.”)

Joel Ruiz:

• Favorite Straw Hat: Nami – “She hates men, is a lesbian, and just wants money. I respect her. Life goals.”
• Favorite Non-Straw Hat: Bon Clay (Mr. 2)—immediately shifts into “Bon Clay is my boyfriend and Boa Hancock is my girlfriend. We do stuff all together.”
• Favorite Villain: Big Mom – “We love women.”
• Favorite Arc: Impel Down (“Luffy and Bon Clay underground, all the side stuff with the villains—everything in that hit for me.”)

See also:

• Multiple panelists: “This show is pro-women. These men respect them.”

Fandom & Fandom Culture

• Jokes about anime openings, skipping them, and early One Piece music sounding like DDR.

Notable Quotes

Joel Ruiz [06:42]: “Nami doesn’t take shit from anybody. She hates men, is a lesbian and just wants money. I respect her. Life goals.”
Vero [09:01]: “He’s larger than life. Buggy is everyone’s favorite fail son.”

The Boyfriend Bracket: DILFs & Daddy Debate

[15:00–93:06]

Segment Overview

• NCAA March Madness-style bracket, power-scaling famous One Piece fathers and older male figures on three axes:
  • Boyfriend/Quality of Life: Would they be a good partner?
  • Daddy Factor: Are they good actual/pseudo-dads?
  • My Dad Can Beat Your Dad in a Fight: Are they strong?
• Panel debates, votes, and roasts each other’s picks with wild fanfic-level speculations.

Match 1: RED-HAIRED SHANKS vs. KOZUKI ODEN

[19:33–43:06]

Vero for Shanks

• Sexy, open relationship energy: “He’s gonna be out there… emperor or whatever, I gotta go run this juice bar and take care of this five-year-old kid who can turn into rubber... I’m fine with that.”
• Lovable & good with kids: “He has his own kid, but he’s really good with all kids, has this paternal instinct.”
• Everyone loves him: “We would definitely get circling back—open relationship. I’d be like, hit up your clown friend, send him my way.”

Delaney for Oden

• Fun but responsible: “He’s a slacker, but he always brings it back—he’s more self-aware than impressions give.”
• Huge found family energy: “A plus dad. Not just to his own, but to a million smaller children. Even cat viper and dogfella.”
• Partner, not jailor: “His wife threatened to divorce him if he stayed home. Good boundaries—he trusts you.”

Debate highlights:

• Fantasizing about bathhouse orgies, supportive partners, running juice bars for pirates.
• Long riffs about the logistics of their bodies/hair/love lives.
• Running jokes about the audience sharing TMI: “Don’t tell me you jack off to Nami. I don’t need to know.”

Vote:

• SHANKS wins (for sex and energy, even though Oden is objectively the better actual dad)

Notable Quotes

Vero [37:57]: “I think Oden is a father, but Shanks is a daddy.”
Shannon [39:12]: “Oden tried to be a much better father, infinitely better. Shanks just left people behind.”

Match 2: CAPONE "GANG" BEGE vs. TOM (the Shipwright)

[43:42–61:22]

Evan for Bege

• Ride or die: “He got into a marriage for political gain, but whose side did he pick? His wife’s. Despite being powerful, his priorities are his family—not in a weird Tony Soprano way.”
• Unique sexual opportunities: “He turns into a castle—think of all the fun you could have… Is there a sex dungeon? Absolutely.”
• Good dad: “The only supernova who is co-parenting. He lets his kid smoke. Italian kids are different.”

Shannon for Tom

• Found family: “It’s easier to love your own flesh and blood kid than to take in some weird kid you find in a shipyard, raise him, and teach him.”
• Changed the world: “Built the Oro Jackson, died for his values… massive impact.”
• Big, huggable vibes: “Imagine cuddling with Tom, so comfortable and cozy. He’d treat you right and build you lovely things.”

Debate highlights:

• Accusations about sex appeal (“Are you kidding me?”).
• Jokes about sandwiches, sex, fish smell, and "fish-themed blowjobs"
• A running gag about the size of Bege’s castle and his kid’s cigar.

Vote:

• BEGE wins (for being sexy, unique, a good dad with staying power; Tom admired for huggability and being a great dad, but not enough for this bracket)

Semifinals / Final: SHANKS vs. GOL D. ROGER (Joel and Vero go head to head)

[62:01–83:06]

Joel for Roger

• Legacy: “Do you know how much sex I’m getting because my boyfriend was Gol D. Roger? Meal ticket for life.”
• Daddy of all pirates: “How many great pirates came because they were under him?”
• Wild sexual anecdotes: “All One Piece is about is how you realize you’re gay. The real One Piece… is gay sex. The chest is a flipbook of Gol D. Roger going to town on Whitebeard.”

Vero for Shanks

• No groveling: “Me and my man, I don’t gotta grovel to prove anything.”
• Sex appeal v. stability: “Shanks is the kind of daddy that isn’t gonna knock anybody up and ruin their life over it. He respects my bodily autonomy.”

Notable moment:
Panel explores the meaning of “daddy”—whether it’s parental, sexual, emotional, or all.

Joel [69:32]: “The real One Piece...is gay sex. The bussy. A big chest with a flipbook of Roger going to town on Whitebeard.”

Vote:

• SHANKS wins (Roger perhaps more enigmatic, but less emotionally available to the general audience.)

Final: SHANKS vs. BEGE

[84:33–93:00]

• BEGE is crowned winner:

  • “If we’re talking about the full picture, I think Bege would be a better sexual partner than Shanks would be a father by far. And Bege is like one of the best dads in One Piece.” –Shannon [92:11]
  • “I think that dependability is gonna be there… I'm picking a man that's going to choose me.” –Joel [91:44]

• Vero gracefully accepts defeat: “Shanks is a good little slut though, not a good father.”

“Yaoi Thunderdome” – AO3/Fanfic Ship Popularity Lightning Round

[147:21–156:06]

• Vero challenges the panel to guess which ships have more works on AO3.
• Sample matchups:
  • Luffy x Law (Lalu) has more fics than Luffy x Zoro (Luzo/Zolu)
  • Smoker x Hina > Jinbei x Robin
  • Brook x Sanji > Sanji x Katakuri
  • Whitebeard x Roger > Big Mom x Kaido
• Panel has keen knowledge of both meme and queer fandom cultures, calling fandom “horny.”

Notable Quote

Joel [155:46]: “How many fanfics are there of Bon Clay and Boa Hancock?” (Answer: None, but listeners are working on it!)

Double Anime Recap: Episodes 1127 & 1128 (Luffy vs. Kizaru, Saturn’s Arrival)

[97:35–137:38]
Hosts: Sam, Steve Yurko

Highlights:

• Episodes deliver strong action, animation, and direction.
  • Gigantic Gear 5 Luffy tossing Kizaru.
  • Bonnie gets a dynamic, standout battle scene.
  • The horror-infused debut of Saturn’s Zoan form, with “goop and weirdness.”
  • The anime’s fluid direction and rhythm earn praise: “nothing but good notes this week.”
  • The balance between slapstick and stakes is applauded.

Notable Quotes

Steve Yurko [129:55]: “Incredible achievements in action animation for sure… Gear 5 Luffy felt more like how I envisioned him—goofy, but cool.”
Sam [134:53]: “This is the kind of episode we were hoping the break was allowing them to make.”

Shoutouts & Plugs

[139:28–146:57]

• Panelists plug their actual-play podcasts (Oddity Roadshow, Rift Tank, Do You Validate?), comedy shows (MST3K riffing, Cineprov in Atlanta), YouTube, and Patreon content.
• Vero invites fans to "be normal" when saying hi at cons and promises jello shots.

Final Thought: Why Bege Wins

• Long-term dependability, solid partner, “best dad in One Piece,” and a unique sexual edge as “the castle man.”
• Running theme is a celebration of queerness, found family, and One Piece’s layered characters.

Closing Sentiment

Joel [93:06]: “Shanks is a good little slut though—not a good father.”

Yaoi Thunderdome, British Boy, and Farewell

[147:21–157:02]

• The episode ends with playful faux-British orphan voices lamenting the end of Yaoi Thunderdome and celebrating “Fujo Friday.”
• Final sign-off and callback to next week’s episode.

SUMMARY: Major Takeaways

• This offbeat episode foregrounds One Piece’s queer fandom culture, with affectionate deep-dives into characters’ relationships and “daddyship.”
• Capone Bege ultimately triumphs as the panel’s “top DILF,” narrowly outstripping Shanks and Oden on both emotional and practical grounds.
• The laughter, camp, and over-the-top sexual jokes foreground the community’s rule: found family, personal preference, and freedom to be weird—all are welcome on the Grand Line.

Recommended Listening:
For invested, fandom-savvy listeners (especially those who love the intersection of queerness, memes, and One Piece). Those looking for deep manga analysis or child-friendly content should check other episodes.

End of Summary