Sanji & Nami’s Relationship, Explained

Sanji and Nami were some of the first crew members to join the Straw Hat Pirates. As a result, they have developed a deep friendship that has withstood many challenges and personal situations. Despite these trials, their bond remains unshakeable, as they have faith in each other’s skills as Cook and Navigator.

With that, the two have a complex relationship, given Sanji’s womanizing behavior and Nami’s seduction abilities to woe the men around her to do her bidding. Nami has shown no remorse for taking advantage of Sanji’s womanizing behavior, and of course, Sanji, too, eats up the attention he receives from Nami. The Straw Hat pirates have always been one big family, so what does Sanji and Nami’s relationship look like in One Piece?

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Sanji and Nami’s First Meeting

For Sanji, It Was Infatuation at First Sight; As For Nami, It Was Another Man to do Her “Bidding”

Sanji and Nami met during the Baratie arc of One Piece. Sanji’s initial appearance alluded to him being a strong-willed individual who does not tolerate disrespect to those who do not cherish food. However, this persona is soon shattered by Sanji’s over-the-top swooning over Nami, to which she takes full advantage of his kindness.

Nami is no stranger to her appeal and will often follow along with Sanji’s flirting, knowing full well that Sanji would do her bidding if she asked. When Sanji and Nami first met, Nami used his flirting to her advantage, attempting to get a free meal by seducing him, using her appeal to get her way. Although Nami has done this numerous times, that does not stop the Cook from proclaiming his love to her, as he is unfazed by the blatant rejection.

As mentioned, Nami is quite aware of her beauty, and though she may be annoyed at Sanji when her swooning becomes too much, she often resorts to hitting or ignoring his comments. Though the two met during Luffy’s time to pay for the damages he caused, throughout the series, Nami soon gained respect for Sanji and his chivalrous personality, admiring his strength and care for the crew.

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During the Arlong Park arc, Sanji comes to Nami’s aid upon discovering her troubled past with the pirates. While he is initially captivated by her beauty, much like with other women, his concern for her well-being is sincere. As Nami grew to respect Sanji’s strength and skills, she often hid behind him in perilous situations, reflecting her trust in his ability to protect her in battles or emergencies.

Like many other crew members, Nami and Sanji maintain a close bond. This connection stems from their status as Nakama. Sanji is known for his daily flirting with Nami and Robin, but he also exhibits strong womanizing tendencies. He easily swoons over the nearest attractive woman while professing his love for Nami and Robin.

Although Nami would often take advantage of Sanji’s womanizing tendencies, they do reach a point in which Nami would become overly annoyed at his antics and thus proceed to punish him for it. During the Punk Hazard arc, Sanji, Nami, Chopper, and Franky experienced a personality switch thanks to Trafalgar Law’s Devil Fruit: Ope Ope no Mi, in which he used Shambles to switch the personalities of the four Straw Hat crew members.

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During this period, Sanji, who had been transferred into Nami’s body, consistently exploited the opportunity to showcase her physical appearance. Although Nami is not particularly modest and frequently utilizes her attractiveness to her advantage, Sanji’s antics compelled Nami to restrain her frustration, as she now inhabited Franky’s body. Consequently, Nami became starkly aware of her comparative physical limitations relative to the other members, rendering her incapable of addressing Sanji’s behavior with physical reprimand, lest she wound her own body.

The Rift in Their Friendship

Witnessing a Brutal Attack on Their Captain, Nami Loses Respect For Sanji

Throughout their time in the Grand Line, Sanji and Nami have gotten significantly close as the crew continued to travel the seas. However, during the Whole Cake Island saga, Sanji’s past is revealed to Brook, Nami, and Chopper. As Nami and Sanji were some of the first few Straw Hats to join the crew, Sanji’s decision to accept Big Mom’s invitation to his own wedding left her feeling guilty at being unable to stop him, which is why Nami showed so much remorse when explaining to Luffy why Sanji wasn’t with the crew.

Nami was also present during the altercation between Luffy and Sanji, in which Luffy attempted to bring Sanji back to the crew to no avail. Nami was initially ecstatic at finding Sanji. However, this soon turns into horror as he viciously beats Luffy, who does nothing to stop his attacks from connecting. One thing about the relationship between the Straw Hats is that they all respect one another, especially their Captain. With this, they would never do anything that would maliciously harm each other due to their strong bond.

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As Sanji viciously assaults Luffy to convey his desire to leave the Straw Hat crew, but he is unwilling to tell him the real reason for leaving the crew. Luffy and Nami both Sanji had his reason, although unclear at the time, which is why Luffy refrained from retaliating. Although Nami urged Sanji to cease his attacks on Luffy, Sanji was resolute in making his point, resulting in Luffy enduring numerous blows. Seeing her friend and Captain suffer like this, Nami couldn’t hold back her tears.

Upon observing the one-sided aggression, Nami entirely disregarded her respect for Sanji, prompting her to slap him for his conduct and address him formally, devoid of familiarity. While Sanji remained aloof to attack, his hardened expression conveyed the guilt he was feeling inside. Although Nami initially reacted angrily toward Sanji’s actions, she was simultaneously pained by his apparent disloyalty to his Captain. Yet, she also recognized that there was an underlying rationale for his behavior.

• Sanji treats all beautiful women the same, with swooning compliments and declarations of love.
• Though Sanji may be the womanizer of the crew, he cares for and respects Nami and Robin.

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Despite Sanji’s transgressions towards their Captain and herself, Nami stated that she would never forgive Sanji for the ordeal he has put her through. However, she was willing to put aside her feelings as they had more pressing matters to attend to. Upon learning that Nami would never forgive him for his actions, this statement hurts Sanji, and he once again declares his undying love for Nami.

This demonstrates the profound bond that Nami and Sanji have developed throughout the series. Although the two have no romantic feelings, their friendship remains strong. As a result, they can express their emotions and exhibit vulnerability without apprehension, acknowledging that there is always a rationale behind their actions. Such a friendship, even in challenging circumstances, exemplifies the extent to which crewmates are willing to support one another.

The Straw Hat crew has always been one big family, with bonds continuing to deepen with every battle and situation. Although Sanji has a nasty habit of flirting with any woman he sees, Nami accepts this as standard, as the two do not share any romantic feelings. However, as crewmates and friends, the two do deeply care for one another. Although Sanji can be overly flirtatious with Nami, he remains respectful toward her.

One Piece can be streamed on Crunchyroll.

One Piece

Release Date

October 20, 1999

Network

Fuji TV

Directors

Hiroaki Miyamoto, Konosuke Uda, Junji Shimizu, Satoshi Itō, Munehisa Sakai, Katsumi Tokoro, Yutaka Nakajima, Yoshihiro Ueda, Kenichi Takeshita, Yoko Ikeda, Ryota Nakamura, Hiroyuki Kakudou, Takahiro Imamura, Toshihiro Maeya, Yûji Endô, Nozomu Shishido, Hidehiko Kadota, Sumio Watanabe, Harume Kosaka, Yasuhiro Tanabe, Yukihiko Nakao, Keisuke Onishi, Junichi Fujise, Hiroyuki Satou

• 

  Mayumi Tanaka

  Monkey D. Luffy (voice)

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  Kazuya Nakai

  Roronoa Zoro (voice)