Ironically, that disdain for romance has made some scenes and dynamics across the series all the more impactful and surprising. Because Oda doesn't entertain romantic themes, for the most part, the slightest romantic hints have become the center of a lot of fan attention. Official or not, there are plenty of romances across the story that Oda made sure that no One Piece fan would see coming.

20 Kaido X Big Mom

A Mountruous Power Couple of Yonkos

Kaido and Big Mom's connection goes back a long time, as they were part of the Rock's pirates. Given Big Mom's dream is creating a country with all races, and Kaido is the only oni seen in the series, it isn't unreasonable to believe that LinLin could have been interested in having a child with him. One Piece's author even shared an artwork where a young Kaido and Big Mom are riding a bike together, and they have palpable chemistry.

Additionally, Big Mom gave Kaido his devil fruit. However, given the 9-year-old gap between them, Big Mom has said she sees Kaido as a little brother. Also, Kaido called her an old bag, but he was still reminiscent of the time they met, and mourned her and the end of their promise to find the one piece together. So even though a romance won't happen, they have a great relationship for monstrous characters.

19 Leo x Mansherry

A One-Sided Romance With Plenty of Potential

Another unexpected yet adorable ship in One Piece that often goes unnoticed is Leo and Princess Mansherry. Despite her short stature, Princess Mansherry's feelings for Leo are impossible to miss. The Tontatta Princess was overjoyed when Leo came to save her from the Donquixote Family's clutches and often seems to vy for Leo's attention, asking him to carry her when she's tired.

However, Leo, much like Luffy, is hard-headed and very oblivious to Mansherry's crush on him. He sees her as hot-tempered and selfish but seems to care for her at the end of the day.

18 Mihawk X Perona

A Goth Couple With a Family Dynamic

Perona stayed with Mihawk during the time-skip and even went back to living with him after Zoro left and after going to Thriller Bark for Kumashi. Despite their relationship often seeming like a platonic, familiar dynamic because of the age-gap between them, numerous fans claimed they complement each other as Mihawk’s stoicism contrasts with Perona’s loud and childish personality, and she also brought out the greatest swordsman's softer and more human side.

While not overtly romantic, their relationship grows to showcase hints of affection and care, like the fact they both cooked for each other and Perona helped Mihawk in his fields. She even loudly cried, and thanked Mihawk for everything he did for her, and he was relieved she would avoid the danger after the warlords’ dissolution. In the One Piece Heroines novel, Mihawk secretly planted cocoa trees so he could make her favorite drink. They even have matching goth styles, and fans can't get enough of them together.

17 Usopp X Kaya

A Ship That Flew Under the Radar

Usopp and Kaya's relationship, though subtle, certainly has the makings of a childhood romance waiting to be rekindled when Usopp finally returns to Syrup Village. The manga and anime mostly paint Usopp and Kaya as close friends due to Oda's relutance to include romance, but Netflix's live-action adaptation of One Piece surprisingly leaned into the romantic aspects of Kaya and Usopp's relationship much more, even giving fans a surprising yet fitting parting gift.

16 Vivi X Koza

A Wholesome Childhood Friends to Lovers Pairing

Another adorable instance of childhood friendship waiting to blossom into romance is that of Koza and Vivi. While Koza has gone under the radar since the Alabasta Arc ended, his relationship with Vivi and their backstory is quite memorable. The two have known each other for over a decade and are said to have often played together as children.

Even though their friendship began with quite a bit of fighting, Koza's loyalty and respect for Vivi have been present since the very start. While there are certainly more popular ships involving Vivi, there could not be anyone more fitting for Vivi to end up with than Koza, considering his leadership skills and how well he knows her.

15 Franky X Robin

A Fan Pairing With Plenty of Chemistry

While Oda is strictly against romance within the Straw Hats, this does not stop some of them from having ripe romantic chemistry and an excellent example of this is Franky and Robin. Of all the Robin ships in One Piece, Franky and Robin, often referred to as Frobin, is arguably the most popular among fans, and it isn't hard to see why.

Franky and Robin have many great interactions, such as on Sabaody when Franky seemingly tries to impress Robin, calling her attractive and a super archaeologist. Franky also diligently protected Robin at Enies Lobby, even heroically shielding her from the Marines' gunfire. The two often pair up whenever the crew splits up to explore or fight and Oda often depicts the two together in color spreads and illustrations, leading fans to view them as an old married couple of sorts.

14 Shanks X Makino

A Possible Long-Standing Love on Dry Land

Shanks and Makino's ship is rooted in their shared past in Foosha Village during Luffy's childhood. Shanks and his crew used to frequent Makino's bar, and his teasing and playful demeanor around her indicated they were comfortable with each other. Also, Makino was very caring towards Shanks despite the fact that he is a pirate, and was understanding even during the bar incident.

Because of this, when Makino is shown holding a baby after the time-skip, who is later revealed by Oda to be her child, and because she has not been seen interacting with other men, some fans theorize that the baby is from the red-haired pirate, although it would mean Shanks had to return to the island recently. The truth is that Shanks and Makino look good together, and they were really friendly with each other, which could have developed into something more.

13 Ace X Yamato

A Wholesome Bond With a Tragic End

One Piece's Wano Arc revealed yet another surprising connection between Ace and Yamato, who crossed paths when Ace happened to come to Wano. Meeting Ace was quite a turning point in Yamato's character arc as he inspired her to chase her dreams and not be held down by her parentage.

While there is very little exp[licit romance between the two as they only met once and never saw each other again, the one night they spent drinking and exchanging stories paints a rather tragic picture of what could have been had Yamato and Ace been able to set out to sea together.

12 Zoro X Robin

An Unlikely Yet Compelling Romance

When Nico Robin first debuted, no one thought that she'd actually become a Straw Hat. She was, after all, an ex-assassin who just hopped aboard the Going Merry after things fell through with Baroque Works. While Monkey D. Luffy was quick to accept the lady who once tried to blow up his crew, Roronoa Zoro was less welcoming. This initial skepticism is perhaps what makes a perspective romance between Robin and Zoro so compelling.

Zoro was immediately at odds with Robin and promised that her transition into the crew wouldn't be easy. Little did he know that he'd come to save her time and time again. While Sanji and Luffy have come to Robin's aid plenty of times, their last-minute saves never had the same romantic charge as the iconic scenes when Zoro saved her on Skypeia or fought for her against Kaku.

11 Zoro X Hiyori

A Bond Born During Hardships

Zoro and Princess Hiyori is one of the most popular ships that One Piece fans expect to become official. Even though Zoro hasn’t shown any interest in a romantic relationship, it is undeniable that Hiyori was attracted to him after he demonstrated his ability as a warrior and helped her in her time of need.

Hiyori and Zoro share a bond of mutual understanding and respect, and she was able to open up to him and be vulnerable. Hiyori sweetly took care of Zoro while he was gravely injured after saving her and willingly gave him the sword she had received from her father, showing her trust in him. Since she is not part of the Straw Hats, Hiyori may be the most likely match for Zoro at the end of the series.