The One Piece Podcast – Episode 895

Title: “We’re All Trying To Find The Rat Who Did This”
Date: December 1, 2025
Host: Zach (Maji Media)
Panelists: Ed, Steve (Voice Actor), Steven (Translator), Joey (Artist)

Episode Overview

This episode covers the latest One Piece manga chapter, 1167, titled “Iida’s Sons.” The crew discusses the ongoing Elbaf flashback, the recent God Valley tie-ins, deep lore and plot twists involving Shanks, character moments with Loki, Eda, and Harold, and major One Piece news items. The panel is joined by regulars plus special guest, One Piece manga translator Steven Paul.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Art of Manga Exhibit & Oda’s Original Art

Timestamps: 03:00–07:05

• Joey shares his experience attending the De Young Gallery exhibit in San Francisco, seeing original Eiichiro Oda art and other legendary mangaka’s works (Rumiko Takahashi, Araki).
• He’s impressed by Oda’s hand-drawn linework, whiteout corrections, and especially Whitebeard’s solar effect created with whiteout.
• Original art reinforced the human element behind manga creation.

Quotes:

• Joey: "The greatest thing about seeing original art is it really does reinforce the concept that the person who is making this is a human being, you know, rather than it magically transported to your tablet every week." (04:35)

2. Community Updates & One Piece News

Timestamps: 07:06–16:27

• Stickers of the Month: Steve’s Sticker Club is open to Patreon supporters with monthly fan art polls.
• Anime News: Voice for Joy Boy announced as Urara Takano (also the original Luffy from the Ganzak OVA).
• Controversial News: Artist Maki Otsuki, performer of "Memories" (first anime ending) was removed from a Shanghai event due to tense China–Japan relations.
• Macy’s Parade: Luffy appeared again; jokes about character crossovers with NYPD.
• Live Action: Season 3 casting announcements for Mr. 1 and Ms. Doublefinger; Episode 1 title "Where There’s Smoke"; filming in South Africa.
• Dr. Fishbone Returns: Steve’s background character voice cameoed back in the anime.

Quotes:

• Ed: "When they end the One Piece anime, they'll play that song ('Memories') and I will cry." (11:30)
• Zach: "It's One Piece. They all come back." (17:07)

3. Manga Recap – Chapter 1167: Iida’s Sons

Timestamps: 19:12–81:16

a. Oda’s Comment

• Obsessed with 8D audio and thinking about remodeling his room.
• Panel laughs about multi-sensory attractions at theme parks.

b. Cover Story & Reader Requests

• Gen and Nochiko scolding a cat stealing a book ("Big Book of Fish").
• Lighthearted discussion on artist commissions and specificity.

c. Opening Narration

• Chapter begins 33 years ago (five after God Valley).
• Rumors spread across the Grand Line about a “monster” attacking ships—foreshadowed to be Harold, Elbaf’s king.
• Clever visual jokes on background characters’ shirts and tattoos (“Hito” = "human"; “Horafuki” = "tall tale teller").
• Quick Panda Man cameo.

Quotes:

• Steven (re: shirt joke): “That’s the punchline: this shirt is saying, it’s a human." (28:03)

d. Rise of the Giants & The God Valley Aftermath

• Harold is revealed as the “monster” attacking pirates—a Navy ally after his “atonement” oath.
• Pirates from God Valley (Whitebeard, Big Mom, Kaido) grow in reputation.
• Roger crew successfully circles the globe; execution sparks pirate era.
• The Navy recruits giants from Elbaf to bolster its ranks (John Giant, Saul make appearances).

e. Holy Knights & Government Contracts

• Harold is formally inducted by the Five Elders into the “Shallows Covenant,” marked with a bone tattoo.
• Explanation of three-tier contract structure: Shallows, Depths, Abyssal (reserved for 13 select individuals tied closely to "God" [Imu/Elders]).
• Interesting speculation about who those 13 might be (Elders/Knights).
• Harold serves obediently for the benefit of Elbaf’s promised government membership.

Quotes:

• Steven: “The covenant has three stages...Abyssal covenant, for only 13 exclusive individuals who can enter into a contract with the true God.” (39:24)
• Zach: “It is interesting that [the tattoo] is bones—feels like a more piratey motif.” (38:04)

f. Diplomacy: Harold & King Neptune

• 20 years ago: Harold and Neptune share drinks, bond over outsider status, discuss children’s marriages (Loki to Neptune’s prophesied daughter—Shirahoshi).
• This connects to the longstanding “Shaggy” nickname for Shirahoshi, confirming deep reader theories.

g. Institution Building in Elbaf

• Harold recruits Saul to help build a school for giants, reinforcing his progressive legacy.

h. Retcon Check: Fisher Tiger’s Escape

• 15 years ago: Depiction of Fisher Tiger’s escape from slavery; shapes mythos around the ransacking of Mariejois.
• Notable: A holy knight—presumably Shanks—frees Fisher Tiger by breaking his collar (Shanks in silhouette, bandaged over his scar, hinting at secret involvement).

Quotes:

• Joey: "There's a lot of feelings...about what Shanks should or shouldn't have been included in...him freeing Fisher Tiger…But if Shanks is in Mariejois for moral reasons, it makes sense to me."

i. Holy Knights Plot: Shanks & Depths Covenant

• The government discusses finding their “rat” (the traitor who helped the slaves escape).
• Shanks and his twin brother Shamrock are introduced to Harold—in full Holy Knight regalia.
• Shanks acts the part of a blood-pure Celestial Dragon, dismissing Harold, but his internal panel betrays discomfort—signaling it's an act to preserve his secret identity.
• Fans speculate on the future impact: was Shanks’ arm given up to “lose” the Holy Knight tattoo, making his sacrifice to save Luffy double-edged?

j. Tragedy: Eda’s Death and Loki’s Revenge

• Eda (Harold’s wife, adoptive mother to Loki) falls ill; Harold seeks a cure, but is away due to government ties.
• Jealous Elbaf locals poison her—resentful of outsider influence.
• Loki, enraged by Eda’s worsening health and the revelation of the plot, massacres Milwaukee village in vengeance.
• Powerful flashback: Loki remembers being cast out as an infant, but Eda took him in (“the only mother I have”).

4. Chapter Discussion & Thematic Analysis

Timestamps: 81:49 – 127:17

a. Flashback Structure & Elbaf’s Heart

• Return to the Harold/Loki focus is met with enthusiasm – these feel like classic, emotional One Piece flashbacks about found family and class tensions.
• Loki’s loss, rage, and retribution are moving; Eda’s kindness gives shape to Harold and Loki’s character arcs.
• The burning town artwork is praised.

b. Shanks Lore, Twin Theory, and Plot Recontextualization

• Rich discussion of how Shanks’ history as a Celestial Dragon and the introduction of his twin, Shamrock, challenge/readjust previous impressions.
• Debate: Will Oda’s reveals retroactively cheapen Luffy and Shanks’ defining moment? General consensus—big twists are possible, but Oda tends to avoid cheapening classic character sacrifices (e.g., Shanks losing his arm).
• Panel argues that fate/coincidence should drive these moments rather than dense, retroactive plotting or “fifth-dimensional chess.”

Quotes:

• Steve: “If you want to just do an interesting heel turn...it’s gonna get messy. Don’t muddle it.” (98:59)
• Steven: “We’re too savvy to get caught by that [‘Shanks is evil’] trick. The discourse is just people trying to see if there’s an even deeper twist, but… what we can tell is what we’ve got.” (108:24)

c. Retcon, Canon, and Emotional Payoff

• Most retcons—like Fisher Tiger’s rescue—are accepted as tidying up rather than damaging to canon.
• The chapter is a “lore dump” but one that’s artistically and structurally rich.
• Debate on whether God Valley content distracts from or enriches the Loki/Eda plot—generally, it’ll pay off in series-wide context, but Elbaf’s story has more emotional resonance.

5. Piece Together (Listener Q&A)

Timestamps: 129:02 – end

• Listeners ask about Shanks’ secret influence on the world (jokingly blaming him for all past plot twists), the impact of AI translation/dubs (like Amazon’s “Banana Fish” debacle), interpretations of the various “Depth/Abyssal” government contracts, and subtler character relationships (like Loki’s care for his brother).
• Consensus: Loki & Eda’s arc = heart of the chapter; Shanks lore is a red herring (for now); mourn Eda, praise her as a shining example of Oda doing “mom tropes” at their best.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Joey (about seeing Oda’s art): “The greatest thing about seeing original art is it really does reinforce the concept that the person who is making this is a human being.” (04:35)
• Steve: “You know, it’s One Piece. They all come back!” (17:07)
• Steven: “That’s the punchline: this shirt is saying, it’s a human.” (28:03)
• Steven (on Harold’s tattoo): “The covenant has three stages... Abyssal covenant, for only 13 exclusive individuals who can enter into a contract with the true God.” (39:24)
• Joey (on Eda’s story): “It was interesting. I wanted to see all that stuff in God Valley, but I wasn’t feeling it in my guts. I was feeling this in my guts.” (81:49)
• Steve (on Shanks): “Don’t muddle it. [That’s] the core of the series.” (98:59)

Important Timestamps

• 03:00–07:05 — Joey’s summary of the Art of Manga exhibit
• 07:06–16:27 — One Piece news: castings, anime, live action, and conventions
• 19:12 — Manga Recap for Chapter 1167 begins
• 31:44 — Harold’s rise as the feared “monster”
• 38:04–41:41 — Holy Knights, government contracts, tattoo symbolism
• 44:48 — Introduction of Shanks & Shamrock as Holy Knights
• 73:17–81:24 — Loki’s vengeful rampage and Eda’s deathbed
• 81:49–127:17 — Chapter discussion: Elbaf flashback themes, Shanks speculation, lore vs. emotion
• 129:02 ff. — Piece Together Q&A

Tone & Language

The podcast maintains its trademark blend of deep manga/lore analysis with irreverent, affectionate banter. The panelists joke, pun, and riff with each other but always circle back to insightful discussion, particularly about the structure and emotional beats of the ongoing Elbaf flashback. Steve’s comedic voices for Elbaf villagers and Steven’s translation nerd-outs are particular highlights.

Summary

Episode 895 is a dense and engaging installment where the crew digs deeply into the latest, lore-rich One Piece chapter. Major highlights include the emotional core of the Elbaf flashback—focusing on found family, loss, and vengeance—juxtaposed against the ever-complicating history of Shanks and the Celestial Dragons. The panel deftly balances lore speculation, reader theories, and critical discussion, providing both a rewarding listen for hardcore fans and an accessible recap for casual readers.