It’s really hard to officially put anyone in A piece, since its creators despise classic romances. According to One Piece mangaka Eiichiro Oda himself, romance doesn’t belong in shounen manga. Aside from the actual married couples that have given life to the characters, One Piece fans shouldn’t expect any real union in the series. However, despite Oda’s rigid views on love, many people still sneak in.
Ironically, that disdain for romance has made certain scenes and dynamics throughout the series more impactful and surprising. Because Oda doesn’t emphasize the romantic theme, most of the smallest romantic suggestions become the center of a lot of fans’ attention. Official or not, there’s a lot of romance throughout the story that Oda makes sure no One Piece fan will see.
10 Zoro X Robin
When Nico Robin first debuted, no one thought she’d actually become a Straw Hat. After all, she’s a former assassin who just jumped on the Going Merry after everything happened to Baroque Works. While Monkey D. Luffy was quick to accept the woman who tried to blow up his crew, Roronoa Zoro was less friendly. This initial skepticism is probably what makes the point of romance between the two so appealing.
Zoro immediately contradicts Robin and promises that her joining the crew will not be easy. Little did he know that he had come to save her time and time again. Although Sanji and Luffy have come to Robin’s aid numerous times, their last-minute saves have never felt as romantic as the iconic scenes when Zoro saves her on Skypeia or fights for her against Kaku.
9 Sanji X Pudding
Even though Sanji and Charlotte Pudding were put into an actual arranged marriage, very few people in and out of the universe really thought there was anything to the relationship. The lack of affection between the two seems to have been confirmed when Pudding revealed his true intentions. In a grand plot to usurp the Vinsmoke Family, Sanji is just a pawn in the ruthless hands of House Charlotte, who is forced to go so far as to betray his crew.
When Pudding started laughing at Sanji’s desperate love confessions, which happened during arguably the hardest time of his life (not in a cell), fans quickly turned their backs on him. with her. And just as quickly, they turned when Sanji, with a gaze of sincere love that only he could draw, once again changed the fickle girl’s heart. Despite witnessing the two meeting under unfavorable circumstances, fans are now eager to see what might happen in the romantic relationship between the two.
8 Smokers X Hina
Aside from the fact that they’re both Marines, there isn’t much to do soon to really get fans to transport Smoker and Hina. Besides crossing the streets of Alabasta, Smoker and Hina only appear as two independent villains seeking justice in their own way. Without Zoro, some people might have shipped Smoker with Tashigi, and Hina would never have been part of the equation. However, Oda really captivated fans with the release of the cover of Smoker and Hina going to buy Chapter 586. Once simply two feisty individuals, have now become the quarrelsome couple of the series. .
7 Sai X Baby 5
This really doesn’t show up in the story, especially since Sai and Baby 5 were little built at first. The two met on the battlefields of Dressrosa during the Straw Hats’ conflict with Donquixote Doflamingo, and while the two were initially enemies. of the Straw Hats, Sai and the Happo Marines ended up siding with him.
This causes him to fight against Baby 5, but according to her gimmick, she quickly falls in love with him. Born into a world without love, Baby 5 is always quick to find romance, even in the midst of a battlefield. While most people would accept romance anywhere other than the battlefield, strangely, Sai is open-minded and goes on to save her from House Donquixote and marry her as his child. .
6 Rayleigh X Shakky
For those who haven’t updated with additional material or have seen competing translations of the series, Rayleigh and Shakky’s relationship can come as a shock. Although the two appeared to be close acquaintances when the Straw Hats met them, Oda confirmed that the two were a couple, with some translations and explanations claiming that the two were married. However, there is direct confirmation of the two’s relationship in Volume 2 of One Piece’s Vivre Card Databooks. While this isn’t exactly an exciting revelation, it’s interesting to see how close Rayleigh and Shakky really are.
5 Sabo X Koala
Long before the Dressrosa Arc, Sabo and Koala were simply treated as two different individuals whose paths would never really intersect in the story. Sabo was in narrative hibernation after Luffy’s backstory was revealed, and the Koala story seemed to have ended after the Sun Pirates brought her home. It’s interesting to see her return as part of the Revolutionary Army, as well as Sabo not dying, but fans are ecstatic to see the two have a relationship that seems more than close. Although the puzzle pieces weren’t there at first, seeing Sabo and Koala interact on the page and screen delighted One Piece fans.
4 Sanji X Viola
While it’s no surprise that a notorious flirt like Sanji has many friends, the emergence of this relationship doesn’t seem to come out of nowhere. While walking on the streets of Dressrosa, Sanji immediately ran into a woman on the run from trouble, who kissed him to evade her pursuers. This moment immediately rushed into Sanji’s head as well as the fan’s imagination. While this was definitely a trap, Violet, aka Viola, seemed like the perfect match for Sanji. She is a beautiful, passionate woman with a fighting style that is mostly rock. In shounen stories, the right fighting style means something.
3 Doflamingo X Viola
While One Piece seems long and detailed, it’s surprising to know that there are still a lot of details that don’t really make up the final part of the story. One such detail is the tumultuous history between Viola and the Angel himself, Donquixote Doflamingo. While Eiichiro Oda did not give any firm details when using the word “romantic”, he hinted at an “adult” relationship between Doflamingo and Viola in SBS for Episode 83. Unfortunately, ODa has may not have his supervisor’s permission to share the specifics of this special relationship.
2 Chopper X Milk
As the series’ mascot and one of the few animals personified in the story, very few One Piece fans have actually sent Tony Tony Chopper to anyone. However, Oda took the great opportunity to correct this during the Zou Arc, when the Straw Hats landed in a kingdom filled with anthropomorphized animals. While half of Luffy’s Straw Hats are in Dressrosa, Chopper’s team is busy rescuing Zou after Jack’s attack. During that time, a charming reindeer assisted him as a nurse, and somewhat ambiguously, Chopper appears to have been taken away by her.
1 Luffy X Hancock
It’s strange to think that, at one point, no one transported Luffy with Amazon’s queen Lily. When Bartholomew Kuma first sent Luffy to the land of strong women, he was immediately at odds with the people, especially Boa Hancock. Not only does she have an eternal hatred for all men, Luffy also trespasses into her bathroom and sees her greatest shame tattoo on her back. Bitter, Hancock immediately tries to kill him, causing everyone to lower their standards for a potential romance. Despite this, Luffy’s ingenuity and kindness not only moved her but also made her fall in love with him.
One Piece is unlikely to become a romance manga anytime soon. While similar franchises like Naruto and even Dragon Ball don’t shy away from showing relationships that develop over time, that’s not the case with One Piece. However, that doesn’t mean that the world’s most popular pirate manga/anime series doesn’t have romance stories. Love may not be the focus of A piecebut that only makes a few hints of true romance stick with fans even more.
