One Piece is not a series that focuses heavily on romance, but when it does touch on the theme of love or romance, it delivers one of the most heartfelt relationships in anime. While Eiichiro Oda does not focus heavily on romance, the connections between certain characters go beyond mere flirtation or surface-level attraction. Whether it’s a love that defies fate, a one-sided attraction, or a connection that lingers despite separation, One Piece has given fans couples whose stories are unforgettable. Hence, the series offers different relationships that are as compelling as the journey for the one piece treasure itself, and it feels just right.
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Zoro And Hiyori
An Unexpected Bond
- Zoro’s First Appearance: Episode 1
- Hiyori’s First Appearance: Episode 892
Zoro has never shown interest in romance, but his relationship with Hiyori in Wano was one of the rare times he was paired with a woman who clearly admired him. Zoro is a stoic and disciplined swordsman, and his encounter with the elegant Hiyori shows an undeniable chemistry between the two characters. Many characters are always intimidated by Zoro’s rough demeanor, but Hiyori is comfortable with him and goes as far as sleeping beside him without hesitation.
This scene alone sparked countless discussions among fans about their potential as a couple. Hiyori trusted Zoro enough to reveal her true identity as the daughter of Kozuki Oden, something she had hidden for years to protect herself from Orochi. Their trust is a foundation for any great relationship. Beyond their personal interactions, Zoro and Hiyori share a strong connection through Enma, the legendary sword that once belonged to her father, Oden. Hiyori entrusted Enma to Zoro, showing her faith in him as a carrier of her father’s legacy and tying Zoro to the Kozuki family’s legacy. Zoro and Hiyori may not be an official couple, but their chemistry, trust, and shared experiences make them one of One Piece’s most promising pairings.
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Monkey D. Luffy And Boa Hancock
The Oblivious Captain And The Empress
- Luffy’s First Appearance: Episode 1
- Hancock’s First Appearance: Episode 409
The relationship between Luffy and Hancock is probably the funniest and most one-sided romance in the series. Hancock is the powerful Pirate Empress of Amazon Lily, who falls hopelessly in love with Luffy after he shows her kindness. The moment Luffy stood up to the Celestial Dragons who had hurt Hancock and her sisters in the past, Hancock’s heart was won. Meanwhile, Luffy remains utterly clueless about her feelings. Romance has never been Luffy’s priority, but Hancock has tried her best – at least in her own way- to change that. However, despite the comedic angle their relationship brings to One Piece, it is one of the strongest and most meaningful in One Piece. The empress even defied the World Government for Luffy during the Marineford War and let him stay at Amazon Lily to recuperate after the war.
Hancock has always believed that no man is worth her time and that all men are evil. Hence, she always used her beauty and devil fruit power to manipulate and destroy them while carrying the scars of her past. However, Luffy is different and doesn’t fall for her charms, fear her power, or judge her past. This is what makes their relationship special in the series. Also, there is no doubt that the empress will play a part in helping Luffy in the final war as he continues his journey to become the Pirate King.
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Usopp And Kaya
A Love Worth Waiting For
- Usopp’s First Appearance: Episode 8
- Kaya’s First Appearance: Episode 9
Unlike most of the other potential couples on this list, Usopp and Kaya have actual romantic potential. Before Usopp became a pirate, he was just a village troublemaker and someone who exaggerated stories filled with lies. Most of the villagers in Syrup village do not like him, but Kaya sees something in him and always loves to be around him. She genuinely enjoyed his stories, not because she believed them, but because they always brought her joy. Kaya was a frail, sick lady, so Usopp’s wild imagination was her source of happiness. Usopp may be a liar, but he has always loved and protected Kaya.
When Captain Kuro’s plan to assassinate Kaya was revealed, Usopp was the only one who tried to save her because no one believed him. Even though he could not defeat Kuro and was terrified of him, Usopp stood his ground to protect Kaya. Kaya gives Usopp the Going Merry when he sets out to sea with Luffy and his crew. When the ship reached its last life and could not go on anymore, Usopp found it hard to part ways with it because of its sentimental value. The fact that it was given to him by Kaya makes it a gift that could never be replaced for Usopp. In the end, Usopp and Kaya always bring out the best in each other. Because Kaya was inspired by Usopp’s dream of becoming the bravest warrior on the sea, she decided to study medicine to help people like Usopp.
4
Kyros And Scarlett
The Princess And The Gladiator
- Kyros’s First Appearance: Episode 631
- Scarlett’s First Appearance: Episode 650
Kyros and Scarlet came from entirely different worlds. Scarlett was a princess of Dressrosa, and Kyros was a gladiator who was feared and respected for his strength. When Kyros gains his freedom and becomes one of the royal guards of Dressrosa, Scarlet falls in love with him and does not care about his past. Scarlet could have stayed in the palace to enjoy her wealth and status, but she left all that behind and chose to build a family with Kyros. She faked her own death to escape royal life and live a quiet life with the man she loved. They both had a child together named Rebecca.
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The peaceful life of Kyros and Scarlet was cut short when the Donquixote pirates infiltrated and took over Dressrosa. Sugar turns Kyros into a toy soldier when he rushes to protect his daughter, thus erasing him from everyone’s memory, including his wife. Scarlet forgot Kyros existed and continued to café for their daughter. However, Scarlett was shot by Diamante, one of the members of the Donquixote pirates, while running to get food for her daughter. Scarlet died alone, believing she was all Rebecca had, never knowing Scarlett was watching over them. Kyros never moved on from Scarlet’s death and never loved anyone else. Kyros continued to look after Rebecca, and when he regained his human form, he gave Rebecca the peace that Scarlet had always wanted for her.
3
Gol D. Roger and Portgas Rouge
A Tragic Love
- Gol D Roger’s First Appearance: Episode 1
- Rouge’s First Appearance: Episode 460
The series never fully showed Roger and Rouge’s relationship, but fans could see their love was strong enough to endure the impossible. Roger’s existence was a problem for the World Government, and people close to him had a target on their backs. Despite the chaos that surrounded Roger, he still had someone who loved him enough to start a family with him. As Roger awaited his death with his sickness getting worse, he trusted her with the safe birth of their child, Portgas D. Ace, even though he knew the danger it would bring. \
Eventually, when the World Government began the hunt for Roger’s child, she made a sacrifice of holding the pregnancy down for twenty months to protect their child. Rouge could have just abandoned the child, but her love for Roger and their unborn son was so powerful that she chose to endure the unimaginable. Even though their love did not have a happy ending, it was real and meaningful, and it transcended their death because their child became one of the most important figures in the series.
2
Sanji And Pudding
The Forgotten Love
pudding one piece
- Sanji’s First Appearance: Episode 20
- Pudding’s First Appearance: Episode 571
Sanji and Pudding’s love in the Whole Cake Island arc was a political arrangement between the Vinsmokes and Charlotte’s family. Pudding and Sanji were pawns in their families’ grand plan to unite two powerful bloodlines. Initially, Pudding played the role of a sweet and loving fiancée, making Sanji believe she cared for him.
However, she plans to kill Sanji on their wedding day in a bid to please her mother, Big Mom. Everything changed when Sanji complimented her third eye, a gesture no one had ever accorded to her. Pudding had spent her entire life being called a freak because of her third eye, so she used cruelty and deception to protect herself. But when Sanji called her eye beautiful and did not judge her, she finally fell in love with Sanji.
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At their wedding, she cries because she is torn between her feelings and her newfound feelings for Sanji. In the end, she betrays her family and helps Sanji and the Straw Hats escape Whole Cake Island. What made their stories sad is that when Sanji made his escape, Pudding stole all the memories of their love so it wouldn’t be too hard for Sanji. This moment cemented their relationship as one of the best in the series. Even though Sanji does not remember, fans know Pudding still loves him. Moreover, Blackbeard has locked up Pudding, so maybe her story with Sanji is far from over, and they might still cross paths again.
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Kozuki Oden And Toki
A Love That Defied Time
- Oden’s First Appearance: Episode 910
- Toki’s First Appearance: Episode 893
Toki was born 800 years before Oden, and she possessed the Toki Toki no Mi devil fruit, which allowed her to travel forward in time but never back. She had spent her life jumping through history and in time till she met Oden and married him. They had two children, Momonosuke and Hiyori, and they enjoyed that blissful life together. Toki was active in Oden’s journey as she sailed with him for most of his journey on the Grand Line. Toki understood what Oden wanted and why his journey mattered to him, so she never held him back.
The true test of their love for one another came when Orochi and Kaido took over Wano. Oden spent years enduring ridicule and sacrificing everything for a chance to free Wano, and Toki stood with him. In the end, he was betrayed and sentenced to death. Toki could have jumped in time as she had done many times, but she chose to die in the same era as the man she loved. Instead, she sent Momonosuke and some of the Nine Red Scabbards 20 years into the future to ensure Oden’s dream would live on.