Written and illittrated by Eichiro Oda, One Piece is the best-selling manga of all time. The series began serialization in Weekly Shonen Jump in 1997 and has long become a global sensation. The series only continues to reach new heights of success now that both the anime and manga have entered the Final Saga. Over the years, the series has gained a large international fan base and caters to many more outside of the target audience. The series has countless side characters, many of whom often end up becoming fan favorites, even if they appear for a short while. But any lasting connections have typically been dismissed by Oda the moment fans suspect a potential for a romantic endgame pairing.
However, the story technically revolves around Luffy and his crew, and they continue to be the center of attention. While One Piece is an action shonen, many such series, especially the long-running ones that focus more on worldbuilding or fights, often include romantic moments among the main characters. However, the One Piece creator has set one rule that’s set in stone, and it revolves around the crew. The series features the “found family” trope prominently, and that may be why Oda is adamant about the crew members having a different but meaningful bond instead of romantic nuances. However, while explaining this, Oda made it clear that romance isn’t depicted in the series, but the truth couldn’t be further from it.
One Piece Subtly Shows Romance, but Not Among the Crew Members
In 2009, during Jump Festa, One Piece creator Oda answered a fan’s question about who Nami likes. The mangaka answered, “Hmm, in a romantic sense? I don’t think there will be any romance among the crew. Nami probably sees all the good aspects/qualities of those guys, but One Piece isn’t a romance.”
Oda continued, “Maybe a lot of girl readers ask this kind of question. Boys are not interested at all. One Piece is basically a shonen manga, a manga for boys, so romance isn’t depicted.”
When Oda gave this statement, the manga was in the middle of its Summit War Saga, and so, the statement is quite dated, given how One Piece’s characters have bonded and matured since then. The part about not having romance among the crew still holds true. Despite Sanji fawning over Nami and Robin, there aren’t clear depictions of romance at all among the crew, aside from wonderfully romantic moments like Pudding and Sanji.
However, that doesn’t mean that the entire story stays away from having romantic moments or nuances. Although it’s not completely out there, One Piece has subtly and even openly shown depictions of love among the characters since the post-time skip era. Shonen manga may not advertise itself as a romance-heavy realm, but with male and female readers aplenty and lots of fanshipping, it’s hard to deny that romance has a place in One Piece.
One Piece’s Romance Isn’t the Main Focus, But It’s Still There
The first couple that comes to mind is Capone Bege and Chiffon Charlotte. They are quite underrated and were married because of Big Mom. However, it’s also true that together with their son and crew members, they make the most wholesome family in the series. Bege was introduced as one of the Worst Generation pirates, but turned out to be a loving husband and father, who would do anything to protect his family.
Additionally, the Baby 5’s backstory and her fear of abandonment were almost too heartbreaking. She was fooled a lot because of her naivety, but during the chaos of the battle, she found Don Sai, the 13th leader of the Happo Navy. It’s a clear enemies-to-lovers trope, and they are even married now. Oda also has a habit of breaking fans’ hearts with tragic backstories, including the story about Kyros and Scarlett, as well as Bartholomew Kuma and Ginny. Both men lost the love of their lives and ended up raising their daughters all alone.
Both Kyros and Kuma went through different trials, but they still share a lot in common. Not only that, but Viola and Pudding ended up falling for Sanji, even though the former’s feelings weren’t quite explicitly stated. The series also relies a lot on one-sided feelings, whether it’s the Pirate Empress Boa Hancock or the Tontatta Princess Mansherry; many characters express their feelings quite openly, even though it’s unrequited.
There are even more romantic nuances subtly shown throughout the series, and they aren’t always the focus of the story. Not to mention, it’s never used the way some shonen or Shojo manga do, where a romantic subplot softens the mood between action scenes. Instead, the romance often serves as tone management, something to be included in between the fight, whether it’s in the form of comedic banter or to make a backstory even more tear-jerking.
H/T: Reddit
