Summary
Quick Links
When it comes to romance inOne Piece, Oda tends to shy away from the topic, more often than not. Although he sometimes dabbles in romantic subplots, especially for characters like Sanji, rarely do these small stories lead to something substantial. Overall, being a story about treasure, freedom, and adventure, there isn’t enough time to waste on romance and falling in love inOne Piece.
Despite not being an important aspect of the series, many fans are still heavily invested in the romantic lives of the cast ofOne Piece. Shipping characters together, like Franky and Robin, or trying to guess which characters will be in a relationship by the end of the series are all common pass-times for certain parts of theOne Piececommunity. One of their main topics of interest involvesthe protagonist ofOne Piece, Monkey D. Luffy, and whether he will end up in a relationship with Boa Hancock by the end of the series.
Boa Hancock Is In Love With Luffy in One Piece
Luffy Sees Hancock As Only A Friend
Boa Hancock’s unrequited love for Luffy has always been one of the strangest, yet funniest, aspects of her character inOne Piece. Despite hating all men in the series, Luffy is the one exception to the rule, withOne Piece’sPirate Empressquickly falling for his innocent and earnest personality, which is the exact opposite of most men she has met in her life. However, this interaction is especially funny since Luffy simply views Hancock as a friend and powerful ally, rather than a potential romantic partner.
Love is always a hurricane! - Boa Hancock
Interestingly enough, Luffy, being a fairly simple and straightforward person, tends not to distract himself with things like romance, instead choosing to prioritize adventure and food. In fact, there are some who interpretthe Straw Hat Pirate, Luffy, as avoiding relationships, in particular due to the fact that they may complicate his adventure, compromising his sense of freedom. Although the specific reasons for avoiding relationships are unknown, Luffy seems to effortlessly dodge any romantic encounter thrown his way.
Fans Are Split On Whether The Couple Will End Up Together
Some Fans Believe They Will Get Married In One Piece’s Epilogue
For the fans ofOne Piece, many believe that the Hancock and Luffy relationship could go either way. Firstly, although Luffy expresses little interest in romantic things, some believethe Straw Hat Captain will marry Hancockat some point in the series or epilogue. Mainly, many of these fans feel that Luffy will marry her out of obligation, since Hancock’s current dream in the series is to marry Luffy. Since Luffy is fairly neutral on the topic, he would marry the Pirate Empress to simply make her happy.
However, on the flip side, some believe that Luffy won’t marry Boa Hancock and will simply remain friends with her for the rest of the series. For a character like Luffy, settling down and marrying seems to contradict his personality. While Hancock is content with ruling overOne Piece’sAmazon Lilyand only sails out of obligation for her people, Luffy’s sense of freedom draws him to explore the open seas. Still, who knows how Luffy might change by the time he finds theOne Pieceand becomes the Pirate King?
Their Entire Dynamic Is The Set-Up For A Gag
Hancock And Luffy’s Relationship Is For Comedic Value
At the same time, nothing may come fromthe Boa Hancock and Luffy relationshipinOne Piecefor an even simpler reason; the entire idea of Hancock being in love with Luffy is a gag. Mainly, the gag itself is to show the harsh and cruel exterior of the Pirate Empress changing when she talks with Luffy and to show Luffy comedically expressing his lack of interest in her. At the end of the day, their entire relationship inOne Pieceis only the setup for some particularly funny jokes.
I’m not going to marry you. - Luffy to Boa Hancock
Still, fans seem fairly split on whether Luffy and Boa Hancock will be in a relationshipby the end ofOne Piece. While it makes sense, albeit being a bit cliché, if Luffy and Hancock were to fall in love by the end ofOne Piece, as of now, it makes far more sense for Luffy to continue forward with the only family he needs, the Straw Hat Pirates. In the end, fans will have to wait and see when Hancock makes her next appearance inOne Piece.
One Piece
Cast
One Piece is a Japanese manga written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. The series follows protagonist Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat Pirate crew as they explore the Grand Line to find the King of the Pirates' ultimate treasure, the One Piece, in order to become the next king. The manga’s popularity helped it spin off into a larger media franchise, including an anime with more than 1,000 episodes.
