Why Iāve started to hardcore ship LuNa
Iām a newbie when it comes to One Piece. After a couple years of seeing One Piece on my peripheral (itās impossible not to notice, especially when youāre deep in the Dragon Ball fandom) I put aside my hesitations (the length is scary to an outsider!) and began to watch.
Everyone in the One Piece fandom knows this already, but Oda truly is a genius. After hearing for years how complex the world of One Piece was, I STILL wasnāt prepared for how intricate the story is, yet it manages to work within the boundaries of a battle shonen.
When watching One Piece, I got the sense that Nami and Zoro love and understand their Captain the most. Please hear me; Iām not saying the other Strawhatās donāt love Luffy, because they most certainly do, but the other Strawhat pirates seem to focus on the group as a whole with Luffy at the center. However, itās Zoro and Nami that constantly keep their attention on Luffy specifically.
Zoro made this clear to me during Thriller Bark Arc. Sanji was there and willing to risk his life, but it was Zoro who gladly accepted Luffyās pain. He wasnāt doing it for the crew, he did it for Luffy. Zoroās love for Luffy isnāt the romantic sort, but itās steeped in admiration, belief, and loyalty. Zoro may be one of the quietest crew members, but his silence doesnāt mean apathy.
Zoroās protection of Luffy carries a lot of weight, because I would argue that Luffy is one of the most vulnerable out of all the Shonen heroes. Despite the fact I know Luffy wonāt die (wellā¦at least, not in the middle of the story, but thatās another discussion) Iām afraid for him. I think the last time I saw a shonen hero get his ass kicked as thoroughly as Luffy did pre-time skip was Goku when he was a child and faced off against Piccolo Daimao. But One Piece REALLY hammers in Luffyās weakness in that section of the story. And Luffy overcomes a lot and is very strong, but in a world full of overpowered opponents who want to see Luffy dead, thereās a true sense of vulnerability. He isnāt the strongest, not by a long shot.
Nami, on the other hand, seems to feel just as protective of Luffy as Zoro, but her reason for this is entirely different than Zoroās.Ā
Unlike a lot of other relationships in Shonen manga, Nami and Luffyās relationship is built upon mutual trust. They respect one another. Nami believes in Luffy and her faith is unwavering, but she also knows Luffy will charge into a situation without even thinking about the consequences to himself. She cares for his wellbeing more than he cares for it, and this attention to Luffyās person only seems to grow as time goes on in the story. Of course, Nami cares for everyone in the crew, but I donāt see her focus constantly on the wellbeing of other members.
More and more often I see Nami turning to Luffy first, asking about him first, and putting her life on the line for him first. Nami also shares her vulnerabilities with Luffy. In WCI, I see this mutual dependence, trust, and focus on one another deepening.
And honestly, this is how healthy relationships work in the real world. If you want to have a meaningful relationship, it has to be about more than attraction. It has to contain trust, common goals, common interests and security. Ā
Which is why Iām puzzled by Sanji/Nami shippers. I donāt mean to be disrespectful towards anyoneās ship, but I canāt see why anyone would want Sanji and Nami to be together. Sanji, as much as I enjoy his character, fawns over every single beautiful woman he sees. I donāt deny that Sanji seems to place a greater emphasis on Nami (ex. he always puts her name first before Robinās) but to me, this isnāt a good enough reason for them to have a relationship. Sanji likes Nami because sheās beautiful. If she was an ugly woman, would Sanji even give Nami the time or day?
In contrast, Luffyās trust and focus on Nami has nothing to do with her looks. Itās because of who she is as a person. Luffy, whether he realizes it or not, feels a pull towards Nami, and itās something I began to notice this more and more the further I got into One Piece. Luffy also has confidence in Nami, but he still feelsā¦rather protective of her. Even in the beginning of One Piece when I wouldnāt really call any of their interactions romantic, theyāre both focused on each other.
I love Luffy and Nami. Their care for each other is what makes me root for them. I want them to find happiness in romance because they already have everything they need to succeed. Every king needs his queen, and Nami is more than worthy of the title. I love how strong, brave, and selfless she is.
I find it quite interesting how Oda used Strong World and Gold to re-emphasize Luffy and Namiās relationship. I know their relationship isnāt the focal point of One Piece, but Oda could choose to write about anything, especially when it comes to movies. For Strong World, he had complete creative control since he wrote the script. For Gold, Oda served as executive producer for the movie and rewrote the ending for Gold.Ā
With Oda being such a calculated writer, it doesnāt seem possible that heād write Nami and Luffy with these moments ājust becauseā or without meaning. Oda is a planner. A small example would be him revealing his idea for Fishman Island in the chapter 121 SBS volume to a kid who asked about Fishman Karate. Oda said, āItās halfway down the Grand Line which I will tell you about at some point. Please be patientā. The crew didnāt make it to Fishman Island until chapter 608.
I recognize that many Mangaka tease relationships but ultimately have them go nowhere or stay unofficial (Iām looking at you Hiro Mashima), so itās entirely possible Oda will do the same, though I have faith heās a better writer. But if that happens and someday far down the line One Piece ends without anything happening between the two, I will still ship them, and I will thank Oda for writing such a meaningful friendship.
But I really hope Luffy and Nami have explicit romance in their future. That would be rather wonderful, donāt you think?