One Piece is a shonen action/adventure series well regarded for its world-building, dynamic movement, and a few silly jokes here and there. However, if there was ever something oddly absent in the series as both an anime and shonen franchise, it would be the slight hints of romance or attraction between characters or, as the fandom devotees like to put it, shipping.
Eichiiro Oda himself has admitted that romance would be something that he would be avoiding near its entirety. He’s just not into it. Despite this, his fans are very much into it. The One Piece side of the internet is flooded with fan art and fanfics depicting the people’s favorite ships. Shipping is an undying trend in any fandom, and One Piece has several ships that could actually happen.
20 Zoro x Perona
As the adopted daughter of Gecko Moria, Perona was initially an enemy of the Straw Hats. But following her encounter with Kuma on Thriller Bark and subsequent exile to Kuraigana Island, she’s grown immensely as a person, even caring for Zoro after finding him injured in the forest.
While Perona claimed to be nursing him back to health purely out of boredom, she did seem to have real empathy for him. Their relationship only improved further during the timeskip, as she risked her own safety to help escort Zoro to the Sabaody Archipelago and helped him and the Straw Hats escape the Marine ambush that happened shortly after.
19 Chopper x Milky
There’s been a running gag throughout the One Piece story that the small and innocent Tony Tony Chopper would never gawk at his female counterparts because he’s not attracted to human women. However, that all changes when the Straw Hats land on Zou and Chopper finds himself on an entire island of animals.
Not only that, but Chopper also meets a female reindeer who happily assists him as his nurse while he takes care of the residents of Zou. While Milky’s appearances have been short, fans have never seen Chopper have such a strong reaction to any other character, and their hearts are fluttering.
18 Kureha x Vegapunk
Dr. Kureha and Dr. Vegapunk long seemed like a strange pairing, but after the revelations on Egghead Island, it appears their goals are far more aligned than fans ever dreamed. Whether or not they’ll ever meet is hard to say, but these two doctors would certainly appreciate each other’s company.
With her eccentric doctoring and unorthodox methods, Kureha fits right in with Vegapunk’s chaotic but ultimately benevolent science, especially now that he’s cut ties with the World Government. Between Chopper and Kureha’s allegiance to the Drum Kingdom and Vegapunk’s friendship with Monkey D. Dragon, there are certainly a few people who could bring them together.
17 Zoro x Hiyori
The Wano Arc has brought a variety of interesting developments for fans, but one thing that’s been particularly exciting for shippers has been the subtle exchanges between Roronoa Zoro and Princess Hiyori. While there’s nothing set in stone, fans have been excited by the fact that Zoro rescued Hiyori as she fled from Orochi’s castle and that Hiyori herself held him close when he needed to heal his wounds.
On top of this, Hiyori even entrusts Zoro with her father’s sword, Enma, taking his Shisui as her own. Considering that a Pirate Empress has already fallen in love with Luffy, it seems fitting that a samurai princess should fall in love with Zoro.
16 Sabo x Koala
Sabo may have disappeared for most of Luffy’s life, but as soon as he made it back on the screen, he made up for lost time in more ways than one. Not only did Sabo come in with his own unique move set and dynamic with Luffy, but his time with the Revolutionary Army has apparently also set up a prospective with romance and with an ex-passenger of the Sun Pirates.
Koala seems to be Sabo’s partner in crime. However, she’s also modeled some of her clothes after Sabo, helping the two match for adventures on and off the revolution.
15 Vivi x Koza
Several fans may not remember Koza, but that won’t stop Vivi from caring for him. During her childhood, Vivi was taken in by a gang of local hoodlums and played and adventured with them to her heart’s content, winning them over with her bright personality and sincere kindness.
This definitely helped win over the gang’s gruff leader, Koza, who may have turned into the country’s lead revolutionary but still held a torch for his childhood friend. The sentiment was shared by Vivi, who couldn’t help but cry for her tired friend, vying for the freedom of both their people. Both bleeding hearts for Alabasta, the two match.
14 Zoro x Kiku
As a skilled swordswoman, Kikunojo seems like a natural match for Zoro. Her icy techniques complement his ferocious Three Sword Style in battle, while the strong sense of honor both possess ties them together outside of it, especially after their confrontation with Kaidou.
The pair have had several opportunities to bond since they met, whether fighting off tyrannical pirates or enjoying the brief moments of peace that could be eked out during the Wano Country arc. While Kiku may have lost her arm to Kaidou, she hasn’t lost her spirit, and she could make a great partner for Zoro one day.
13 Franky x Robin
Ever since the Enies Lobby Arc, fans have sensed subtle romantic tension between Franky and Nico Robin. Though this isn’t explored explicitly across the series, the two do have a consistent dynamic, as dark and serious girl and bright and silly boy. Franky played a huge part in Robin finding her will to live when they were both captured by CP9.
Franky would continue to vie for Robin’s attention through small parts across the series, and Robin would hilariously respond with the same deadpan. As the two adults of the Thousand Sunny, the two make a strong pair.
12 Luffy x Boa Hancock
Luffy and Boa Hancock are a fan-favorite One Piece ship. Initially launched to Amazon Lily by Kuma, Luffy came face-to-face with a tortured warrior princess whose entire history was muddled by the vile acts of men.
However, Hancock’s heart was turned when she witnessed Luffy’s own natural selfishness and bravery. Swayed by the hurricane known as love, Hancock adorably shifts from her typical ice queen persona to a gushing fangirl whenever she sees Luffy, and it is one of the cutest things ever seen in the series.
11 Usopp x Nami
Usopp x Nami is a ship that some members of the community have explored, but it really could hold water. As part of the Weak Trio, Usopp and Nami are constantly together, either paired during missions or plotting some way to circumvent the dangerous sense of adventure of their captain.
Usopp and Nami share the same cowardly goals and may very well have the same level of wits and cleverness that has guided and protected the two so well in One Piece. Putting those dastardly minds together could make for one of the most dangerous power couples in the series.
10 Zoro x Tashigi
The relationship between Roronoa Zoro and Vice Admiral Smoker’s confidant, Tashigi, is a strange one. During Zoro’s youth, his dojo rival and possible best friend died from falling down some stairs.
Years later, while being chased by the Marines in Loguetown, he crosses paths with a girl that not only mysteriously looks like his childhood friend but also shares her interests in swords. Whatever path may come from this, whether this is just a coincidence, a resurrection, or some weird conspiracy, Zoro and Tashigi do have a strong connection that could very well blossom into romance, perhaps over coffee and swords.
9 Luffy x Carrot
While Carrot may have left the crew for now, she served as a vital ally of the Straw Hats for three arcs. She does become more serious in her Sulong form, but her normal personality often makes her feel like a second Luffy, especially in the anime-exclusive Marine Rookie arc.
It’s easy to picture the two spending time together if they ever get the downtime, especially with the ties Zou seems to have to the mysterious Joy Boy. The abilities of the two are also a powerful combination, as it means Carrot never needs to worry about accidentally shocking Luffy when they fight together.
8 Sanji x Pudding
Whole Cake Island had a lot of fun developments. The arc reveals something that may haunt fans for the next few years — the mysterious relationship between Sanji and Charlotte Pudding.
When Sanji found out that his family was forcibly putting him through an arranged marriage, he was surprised to find that the girl that they set him up with was not only quite a looker but also seemed to share his interest and affinity for cooking. It was a match made in heaven that left on a big, heartbreaking cliffhanger once Sanji inevitably had to escape Whole Cake Island.
7 Sanji x Nami
As much promise as there is for Sanji and Charlotte Pudding, he already has an incredible history and a charming chemistry with the Straw Hat’s resident navigator/cat burglar, Nami. The two have had the classic Brock-Misty relationship: Sanji would swoon over someone, and Nami would kick his butt over it.
However, through and through, Sanji would always dedicate most of his time to serving and doting on his precious Nami-schwan. The time that Nami took over for Sanji in his battle against Kalifa and their deeply personal exchange on Whole Cake Island are also pivotal, deeply tense moments that suggest that there is something between the two.
6 Usopp x Kaya
Going way back to a ship that the fans may have already forgotten, Usopp does have a strongly established romance within his backstory. Though he was mostly a sly trickster on Syrup Village, Usopp used his lie-filled talents to craft beautiful stories for the sick, rich girl next door.
Usopp would often wait on the tree branch outside her window so that the two could just talk, and he would share all the stories of the grand adventures he had never had. Though he did leave to actually live out those stories, a huge part of Usopp’s dream is to one day return to Syrup Village as a tested adventurer of the sea, hopefully chock full of better stories for Kaya.
5 Smoker x Hina
Though they are agents of order and justice, the Marines certainly aren’t sailing on lonely waters. Sea salt and love are in the air, as Oda has primed a close relationship between two of the series’ strictest characters.
Since their first interaction, One Piece fans could already tell that there was some history and a rapport between “White Chase” Smoker and “Black Cage” Hina. This would later be reinforced when Oda released an interesting cover page of the two going shopping together during their free time.
4 Shanks x Makino
During Luffy’s origin story, Shanks and Makino did seem to be friendly with one another but not too friendly. However, post-timeskip, a cover page revealed that Makino eventually did have a baby and that the baby was probably “his.”
Whoever “his” was is still up for speculation, but a major fan theory is that the baby is Shanks’, given the fact that there aren’t many other major male characters around Makino’s age who she’s interacted with. With this ship in mind, Shanks’ time on Foosha Village definitely has a lot more going on than just taking care of Lufy.
3 Luffy x Jewelry Bonney
For most of One Piece, little was known about Jewelry Bonnie beyond a possible connection to Bartholomew Kuma — even her Devil Fruit was better known, despite still lacking a name. But the Egghead arc has sought to rectify that, revealing Bonnie’s status as the daughter of the infamous cyborg Kuma among other discoveries.
With Bonnie now working alongside the Straw Hats, she’s finally getting to know Luffy, and the two seem like an excellent match, both in personality and appetite. With her status as the crew’s newest ally and the story approaching its finale, she might even end up the final Straw Hat.
2 Zoro x Robin
One of the top ships in One Piece, the Pirate Hunter and Demon Child have had a certain tension between them since day one. Upon Nico Robin’s arrival on the ship, Zoro immediately didn’t trust her, signaling to everyone a tiny bit of a love-hate angle. During Sky Island, there was this memorable scene of Zoro protecting Robin.
Even during Ennies Lobby, Zoro only went into Asura mode when Kaku mentioned Nico Robin. There are tiny bits of cute interactions between the two, creating some of the most consistent build-up of any romance within the series.
1 Luffy x Nami
As is customary in any shonen series, there must be a pairing between the male and female leads. And while it is a bit of a rigid rule, there is a large history between Luffy and Nami. When Luffy first went on his adventure, Nami was the first of the Straw Hats that he had ever locked eyes with during a fated interaction within a pirate raid.
During the Arlong Park Arc, Nami would even personally call to Luffy for help, resulting in Luffy personally entrusting his hat to her in good faith. From then on, Nami would appear several times in the series with the famous Straw Hat. The two would also be consistently paired with each other throughout a variety of the crew’s adventures. While nothing is really set in stone, fans probably wouldn’t complain about a romance built with this much story.
