Transcript

Stephen Paul (0:00)

So good, so good, so good.

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I get an extra 5% off with.

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Stephen Paul (0:55)

Sam.

Zach (1:31)

This is the One Piece podcast episode 893 for the week of Monday, November 17th, 2025. My name is Zach.

Ed (1:38)

And my name is Ed.

Zach (1:40)

And on today's episode we have very special guest. You may know him as the translator for One piece and weekly shonen jump in Manga plus. His name is Stephen Paul. How's it going, Stephen?

Stephen Paul (1:50)

It's going good. It's going good. I'm. I'm happy to announce that Toto has blessed the rains down in SoCal. Uh, we do have our first storm of the season.

Ed (2:03)

It's mudslide season, isn't it?

Stephen Paul (2:05)

Uh, yeah, well, yeah, I think if there had been more fires, that would have been a bigger concern. But it's mostly just been very dry this year, so it's been a long time since we had some nice rain, so I'm enjoying it.

Zach (2:15)

Good. That's good. Is. Is that why Toto from One Piece is named that? Now that I'm thinking about it?

Stephen Paul (2:21)

Uh, yes, yes. He blamed the. He blessed the rains down in Alabaster. That's how.

Ed (2:26)

That's how it goes actually. By long standing supposition that people in. People in Southern California talk about traffic because they don't have weather to talk about. Maybe that's just Los Angeles, but I.

Summary

The One Piece Podcast – Episode 893: "Igaram’s Nightmare" (with Mike Patten)

Release Date: November 17, 2025
Host: Maji Media
Notable Guests: Stephen Paul (One Piece official translator), Mike Patten (artist & storyboarder)
Main theme: Manga Volume 113 SBS ("The Birth of Loki"), anime recaps, One Piece in global news, and the wild world of SBS questions.

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the newly released Volume 113 of One Piece, titled "The Birth of Loki." The hosts explore the SBS (question corner) fun, the design choices on the newest manga cover, a raft of wild and unconventional fan questions, and the impact of global events involving One Piece iconography (especially in recent protests). The show offers thoughtful discussion about the legacy left by the late anime director Tatsuya Nagamine, an in-depth look at recent and classic SBS content, and an anime recap covering episodes 1148 and 1149, centered around Vegapunk’s fateful broadcast.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Remembering Director Tatsuya Nagamine [06:00–10:00]

Nagamine directed Film Z and episodes 892–1122, ushering in a new, vibrant era for the anime.
He was integral to transforming Wano into "an animator’s playground."
Brief tribute: “He’s done a lot in just his short time with us. ... He’s really shaped it into what it is today, which is becoming a very different anime than it was in 2017.” — Zach [08:47]

The "Storm" in Southern California (and One Piece Names) [01:50–04:00]

Stephen Paul jokes about SoCal finally getting a storm, riffing on "Toto" and their namesake character in Alabasta.

One Piece Iconography in Global News: Mexico Protests [10:00–14:00]

The hosts analyze a recent protest in Mexico City where the Straw Hat flag appeared.
Right-wing groups seemingly co-opted One Piece imagery, confusing the nature of the protest.
“It was like a false flag sort of thing.” — Zach [11:38]
Insight into One Piece’s popularity from Indonesia to Mexico, and the effects of Netflix’s live-action casting choices.

Main Segment: Manga Recap – Volume 113, "The Birth of Loki" [17:10–1:04:15]

Cover critique:
- Absence of the classic “cover box” motif is divisive among the cast.
- “Once you notice the box is gone ... it feels like they’re on a set missing a background.” — Stephen [19:13]
- Color design surprises: blue-haired arrow girl, Luffy’s helmet, and Gabon's inclusion raise questions.
Hidden Panda Man:
- “I enjoy the ones where he replaces a character, but it would be much funnier if he were Luffy.” — Zach [24:22]
Oda’s comment:
- About the lengthening of Earth's day (now 24 hours, previously 23)—Oda finds quirky science facts (jokes about mangaka deadlines in prehistory). [25:56]
SBS headers & running jokes:
- Multiple callbacks to classic “fan service” jokes and illustrations, with fun narrative set-ups referencing everything from Loguetown to Corazon.
Key SBS questions and Oda responses:
- Does Zunesha poop?
  “Yes, of course Zunesha poops ... enough that you would get adventurers disembarking on it to go on an adventure.” — Oda [32:02]
- Who’s with Crocus in chapter 631’s cover?
  "Yes, that was Gabon ... he never really got over his wanderlust." — Oda [34:23]
- Why does Bonnie pose as an adult?
  "A crew with a kid as a captain is bound to get disrespected ... now on Elbaf, she can just relax and be the kid she actually is." — Oda [35:14]
- Egghead design inspirations:
  "All of the robots that I draw are trying to be like Time Bokan and Robodachi ... they're full of joy and wonder." — Oda [39:34]
- Multiple calendars in One Piece world:
  Oda reveals the current years per calendar system (Tenreki: 4131, Kaiendeki: 1541) and discusses their parallel ongoing use.
  “It’s interesting. It’s hard to say how meaningful that will be in the long run, but it’s good to know Oda has it straight.” — Stephen [47:37]
- Are Vegapunk’s and York’s Celestial Dragon tendencies latent in all humanity?
  “There is the potential for a Celestial Dragon inside of everyone ... think about that as much or as little as you want.” — Oda [51:57]
- Frankie and Queen: Are they related?
  Oda cycles through a “sweating” internal monologue about fanbase connecting the dots, but pointedly doesn’t confirm or deny:
  “There’s no way ... I can’t reveal something here ... I have to hide this.” — Oda [61:36]
- Why Oda uses 2-page spreads and layout:
  "I always envision the manga as two pages at once ... for those who read on a phone, I’m sorry." — Oda [75:07]
- New SBS for Frankie’s new VA coming:
  Oda asks for questions for Subaru Kimura, transitioning the voice since Kazuki Yao’s departure. [79:46]

Notable & Fun SBS Moments

Vivi at 40 and 60:
- In one alternate future: “I’m gonna hypnotize ya, ya dumbass!” (as a pirate captain, referencing her dance) [57:40]
- In the worst timeline: “Luffy? Yeah, I remember that guy.” (as a Celestial Dragon-esque villain) [58:47]
Does Jinbe have blue genitals?
- “It’s blue.” — Oda, to a question from a five-year-old (everyone laughs/cringes) [84:26]
Gear 5 attack naming conventions:
- A reader jokes that “white whip” should have been “panty whip;” Oda bats this away, blaming the “perverts” and the PTA. [60:10]

SBS Artistic Fan Highlights

Clock handcrafted by an 87-year-old grandma for her grandkids [95:44]
"Four Flashers” parody of the Four Emperors, complete with dubious Blackbeard anatomy [96:29]
Balloon art of Bonnie & Kuma [97:21]
Multiple running fan gags riffing on Emu and Kanjuro

Anime Recap: Episodes 1148–1149 [105:13–137:36]

Hosts: Sam & Ken

Main highlights (with selected timestamps)

[107:00] Anime-original Icarus metaphor during Vegapunk’s broadcast.
[108:20] Mach Town antics; world reacts humorously to sinking-ocean prophecy.
[111:19] Saturn’s battle with the Straw Hats; Chopper “blocking” rapid stabs.
[112:52] Vegapunk’s broadcast enters the Void Century history and the Great War.
[116:21] Joy Boy is revealed as the "first to be called a pirate."
[119:23] Carrot fangirls over ancient weapons tech: “Weapons, that’s so cool.”
[120:00] Foxy cameo, lampooning Vegapunk’s self-doubt.
[124:16] Venus Juro’s unicorn-horse moonwalk and cutting the Labo Phase in half.
[127:28] Major lore drop: the world sank by 200 meters during the Void Century; King Cobra's posthumous presence; Alabasta mourning.
[131:03] Stylized visual tricks for Stussy/Edison conversation.
[133:49] York figures out the snail’s location is inside the Iron Giant.

Notable Anime Recap Quotes

“It’s hard to make any meaningful distinctions between the last four episodes now.” — Sam [136:24]
“It’s nice seeing them all back, all animated, a lot of returning voice actors... but is it quantity over quality?” — Ken [135:00]

Piece Together: Q&A, Theories, and More [139:36–176:22]

Memorable Q&A Moments:

[142:20] On Teach’s “dreams never end” line: Stephen discusses the translation choices and universality of the line’s meaning.
[159:45] “Can we assume the black form of Emu is their actual body, not just a silhouette?”
- Hosts debate if the “shadow monster” form is literal or just a story effect, and joke that only Zeus the homie might remember what Emu actually looks like.
- “If any individual character should be the one to reveal it, it should be Wapol. That would be awesome.” — Stephen
[149:42] “Will Oda ever explain the true origins of magic/haki/races, or are some things destined to stay mysterious?”
- Deep discussion about Oda’s "no-magic-without-some-kind-of-explanation" policy and how themes of legend, science, and confusion blend in One Piece worldbuilding.
[170:39] Reflections on Rocks D. Xebec:
- “He is not a perfectly inspirational figure to everyone… but [for Kaido, Whitebeard, Big Mom] he has clearly made an impression.” — Stephen

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

“There’s a picture of [ex-president] Vicente Fox wearing the straw hat Jolly Roger … What a way to make something uncool is to have an elderly politician sport it.” — Zach [14:25]
“Can someone get fired for this blunder [removing the cover box]?!” — Zach [19:13]
“You could tell Oda was referencing Time Bokan, Gundam, and Robodachi. They were all so alluring … all the robots I draw are trying to be like that.” — Oda [39:34]
“If Bonnie is 12, why does she look 20? Because a crew with a kid captain gets no respect!” — Oda [35:14]
“There is the potential for a Celestial Dragon inside everyone...” — Oda [51:57]
“I always envision the manga as two pages at once. For everyone on a phone, I’m sorry!” — Oda [75:07]

Timestamps for Important Segments

06:00 — Tribute to Tatsuya Nagamine
10:00 — One Piece flags in Mexico protests
17:10 — Start manga recap for Volume 113
32:00–62:00 — Marvelous/funny/insightful SBS answers
- 34:23: Gabon confirmation for Crocus cover
- 51:57: Celestial Dragon tendencies inside Vegapunk/York (and us all?)
- 61:09: Oda sweating on Frankie/Queen relation
75:07 — Oda’s page layout philosophy
84:26 — Jinbe’s blue ahem “genitals”
105:13–137:36 — Double anime recap
- 116:21: Joy Boy as "first pirate"
- 127:28: Lore reveal: world ocean rose 200 meters
170:39–175:53 — Reflections on the Rocks flashback (and the nature of Oda’s character work)

End Notes

Fan/community interaction: Listeners are invited to ask SBS-esque questions in the Piece Together section or become Patreon supporters for more access.
Podcast wrap-up:
- Mike Patten details his art on DoManStone (Simpsons-styled One Piece) [179:17]
- Stephen Paul shares details about his translation work, including Kingdom, Kurumizawa's Folly, and more [181:00]
Next week’s tease:
- New manga chapter incoming; tune in for more live recaps and shenanigans!

Summary prepared for those who want the juicy new One Piece lore, hilarious fandom antics, and unique creator/fan engagement—all without sitting through a three-hour episode.

wavePod

Episode 893, “Igaram’s Nightmare” (with Mike Patten)