The One Piece Podcast – Episode 884 “Shakky Races” (with Anthony Bowling)

Date: September 15, 2025
Host: Maji Media
Notable Guests: Stephen Paul (official One Piece translator), Anthony Bowling (voice actor, ADR director)

Overview

This engaging and multifaceted episode dives deep into One Piece Chapter 1160, “The God Valley Incident.” The discussion is both heavy and lighthearted, addressing the chapter’s unflinching depiction of atrocity and spectacle alongside classic character shenanigans. Special guest Anthony Bowling brings his industry perspective, while the regular panel explores serious themes, Oda’s storytelling craft, and long-standing One Piece lore. The episode’s title is a riff on “Wacky Races,” highlighting both the gallows humor and serious critique running through the conversation.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Welcoming Anthony Bowling – Industry Updates

[02:12–03:50]

• Anthony shares his recent move to LA and ongoing projects, including an unannounced Hulu/Disney+ show and the upcoming “My Hero All’s Justice” game.
• He talks about voicing Frankie in “Spy x Family," dubbing progress, and the emotional intensity of the current One Piece arcs:

  “Still getting my anime roots right there… enjoying how One Piece has just been exploding narratively.” (Anthony Bowling, [03:50])

2. Catching Up with the Dub & the God Valley Arc

[04:34–06:49]

• The group discusses the anime and dub’s current pace—nearly caught up, with a particular interest in the emotional Kuma flashback.
• The God Valley arc is praised for blending flashbacks and present events.
• Anthony remarks on fandom connections created by the dub:

  “I freaking love that. It's cool things to start mixing my fandoms together because I think that's what the dub is about.” (Anthony Bowling, [05:03])

3. Serious Real-World Parallels: One Piece Symbolism at Protests

[08:59–13:25]

• Noting international news where the Straw Hat flag appeared at political protests in Indonesia and Nepal.
• The hosts plan a future “deeper dive” episode about One Piece’s symbolic impact globally.
• Anthony reflects:

  “It kind of just puts a nice little fire in your heart. When you think about, like, wow, what are we living through right now? It's kind of cool.” (Anthony Bowling, [11:39])

• Ed and Zach compare One Piece’s reach to “Star Wars” or “Marvel” in terms of global cultural saturation.

4. Manga Recap – Chapter 1160: The God Valley Incident

[14:06–87:06] (with comic relief in betweens)

a) Cover Story, Oda’s Comments, and Cultural Jokes

[15:20–19:59]

• Oda discusses his love for Odoroki peaches, sparking a sidetrack about Japanese regional foods.
• Jokes about the never-ending Yamato cover story and speculating on where it collides with the main plot.

b) The Atrocities & Spectacle of God Valley – Tone Whiplash

• The hosts vividly break down the opening pages:
  • The sadism and dehumanization of the “rabbit hunt” (paralleling historical genocides).
  • Hunger Games/Running Man-style entertainment for Celestial Dragons, highlighted by mass murder as sport.
  • The horrifying panel of a woman dying as she begs Dragon to save her sons.

    “This chapter is half like... Grave of the Fireflies serious… and then the other half is like ‘here comes the Rocks Pirates and the Roger Pirates!’ …very different tones.” (Zach, [27:29])

  • Little Blackbeard/Teach and child Shanks get highlighted in the trauma, pushing empathy even toward future villains.

    “You have to go out of your way to kind of have that sympathy and be like, man, I get where [Blackbeard’s] coming from. And I don’t think I ever would have thought that…” (Anthony Bowling, [31:30])

c) Deeper Analysis of Language and Subtext

[29:40–31:18]

• Stephen Paul discusses the linguistic choices Oda uses for prejudice and systemic violence (“shun,” “isolate”)—how such language normalizes atrocity before open genocide.

d) Character Spotlights and Humor to Break the Tension

[35:57–47:07]

• Jokes about cartoonishly evil Celestial Dragons, “Wacky Races” comparisons, and fan-casting old Hanna-Barbera characters in the God Valley setting.
• Memorable moment:

  “My wacky knowledge is not this deep. I feel like a fake wacky racist.” (Zach, [08:01])

e) Dragon’s Moral Dilemma

[48:10–53:27]

• Dragon, as a young Marine, agonizes over defying authority to save children (Shanks and possibly Shamrock).
• His choice to tranquilize (not kill) a Celestial Dragon is shown as pivotal—possibly the event that indirectly saved Kuma, Ivankov, etc.

  “It turns out Dragon is the reason that his revolutionary officers were saved to begin with. Which is... I kind of like that aspect.” (Alex, [51:10])

f) Arrival of the Pirates – Mayhem and Motivation

[54:26–66:34]

• Rocks and the “all-star” Rocks Pirates crash in; the Roger Pirates follow shortly after. Joyful, chaotic bickering about Shakky/treasure/devil fruits.
  • Standout joke: “For the most beautiful woman in the world, I think I could.” (Whitebeard via Anthony Bowling, [58:38])
• New context for their rivalry and hints about the upcoming Davey Back Fight parallels.

g) The Holy Knights of God – Lore and Translation Notes

[73:12–81:16]

• Debut of the “Holy Knights of God,” with Stephen Paul providing a detailed breakdown of the term’s Japanese origin and decisions in the official English translation:

  “…Depending on how you interpret the context, you could translate it into several different versions of ‘Kami no Kishidan’… I had to compromise. I came up with ‘Holy Knights’…” (Stephen Paul, [79:40–80:53])

h) Garp’s Entrance – Hope and Complicated Heroism

[82:13–83:56]

• Garp smashes onto the scene, cheered as a hero, highlighting the narrative complexity since he’s technically defending the Marines/Celestial Dragons—not the victims.
• Reactions cycle between triumphant nostalgia and questioning Garp’s true values.

5. Thematic Takeaways & Reflections

a) Chapter’s Emotional Impact and Narrative Techniques

[87:11–114:42]

• The crew expresses whiplash from the tonal shifts:

  “Half of it is the most stomach-churning material…and then you go from that to: ‘Here’s the starting lineups for the Rocks Pirates!’” (Stephen Paul, [87:46])

• The violence and spectacle invite parallels to real-world horrors; Oda’s skill is praised for using both pathos and parody to convey systemic evil.

b) Critique and Praise for the Flashback’s Structure

• Some hosts and listeners (esp. Alex, [92:51] and [144:55]) express fatigue with flashback “detours,” feeling the story is sometimes too bogged down—but acknowledge the historical/lore “puzzle pieces” are satisfying when they click.

  “Get to the fireworks factory already.” (Alex, [92:48])

c) Fan Questions (Piece Together) and Community Engagement

[123:30–147:38]

• Listeners ask about everything from Dragon’s possible fart powers to the nature of the Celestial Dragons as “untouchable” ruling classes in real world history.
• Speculation about Shanks’ and Teach’s backgrounds continues, along with humor about names, character design, and translation choices.

d) Closing Thoughts

• Most hosts feel the “fireworks” of God Valley are imminent, with the arc’s emotional and historical weight well established.
• Anthony Bowling comments:

  “We're finally getting a lot of this deep lore… any little action can cause huge ripples… holding the glue together on the world is great…” (Anthony Bowling, [84:42])

Notable Quotes & Highlights (with Timestamps)

• “Cartoonish evil is also real evil.” (Zach, [45:54])
• “You have to show all this atrocity around him to make Blackbeard seem like a victim here… I don’t think I ever would have thought that.” (Anthony Bowling, [31:30])
• “My opinion on Gunko is going to depend solely on whatever her affiliation with Brook is.” (Alex, [143:47])
• “The chapter’s the most stomach churning stuff I’ve read in the series.” (Zach, [114:13])
• “I just want to get to the fireworks factory already.” (Alex, [92:48])
• “A lot to like in this chapter, and a lot to hate. A lot of characters to hate—very hateable.” (Ed, [92:54])
• “This flashback seems to be doing a lot of heavy lifting for many characters. It’s like Oda said, ‘I’ll just do them all in one go.’” (Alex, [95:56])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:30] – Main episode introduction and guest intro
• [11:39] – Anthony Bowling on One Piece’s real-world meaning
• [14:06] – Manga Recap (Chapter 1160) begins
• [27:29] – Tone shift discussion: atrocity vs. spectacle
• [31:18] – Language of dehumanization analysis (Stephen Paul)
• [54:26] – Rocks Pirates spread and motivation discussion
• [73:12] – Holy Knights of God: translation/explainer
• [82:13] – Garp’s triumphant entrance
• [87:11] – Chapter review and emotional impact
• [123:30] – Listener Q&A / Piece Together

Episode Tone

The episode expertly balances the harrowing with the humorous—a trademark of deep One Piece discussion. The hosts never shy away from heavy topics, critiquing both the world of the manga and its cultural impact, but also use their camaraderie and “Wacky Races” jokes to create an accessible, heartfelt space for fans at all levels.

Takeaways

• Chapter 1160 is one of the most emotionally affecting and thematically rich in recent One Piece history, unafraid to juxtapose the very worst of humanity with larger-than-life pirate chaos.
• The podcast panel, including One Piece’s own translator, offers unique insight into both the artistry and translation dilemmas behind major reveals.
• Listeners should expect a continued blend of earnest analysis, black humor, and fandom celebration as the God Valley incident barrels toward its explosive conclusion.

For more art, outtakes, and member extras, fans are encouraged to check out the show's Patreon and join conversation on Discord. Next week’s episode will be an SGS (Stephen & Greg Show) as the manga is on break; regular manga discussion returns in two weeks.