Emotional support (LuNa edition)

Original post: February, 2018

One common consensus among non-shippers regarding the relationship between Luffy and Nami was: Luffy is Nami’s emotional anchor.

What’s an anchor? The literal definition would be a device dropped by a chain to the bottom of the sea, to get a firm hold that provides a vessel or a ship with stability despite the motion of the waters.

Why can we conclude Nami sees Luffy as her “anchor”? Because Nami can hold onto Luffy to get emotional stability in the form of hope, comfort, relief, and even strength. Luffy became this to Nami by actively and personally reaching out to her, fighting his way to her heart despite people telling him not to trust her (I know that sounded shippy, but it’s doesn’t mean they’re already in a romantic stage). Until Nami finally gave in and decided to hold onto Luffy for hope, comfort, and strength

After that first time Luffy personally gave Nami relief and comfort during such a hard time, she kept holding onto him on several occasions. Let us remember once again Luffy Vs. Enel round 1

Nami had learned to trust in her captain’s prowess. The moment she panicked didn’t happen because of a lack of faith in Luffy; it happened because she found herself overwhelmed by uncertainty. She was fearing the possible consequences of Luffy beating Enel right there at that very moment.

What was Luffy’s response to Nami’s worries?

In his very own way, through a very familiar gesture, Luffy reassured her she had no reason to panic. For she’s the future Pirate King’s companion. Appealing to their mutual faith/trust, Luffy manages to quell Nami’s fears. He instilled in his navigator confidence and strength. Nami herself would later draw courage from her captain to stand her ground against Enel

Nami progressively grows more and more emotionally attached to Luffy as the story goes on. A remarkable moment happens by the time she finds him before the Aqua Laguna strikes Water 7.

Some perceptive readers could see a clear difference between how determined and tenacious Nami proved to be when facing the task of rescuing Robin.

But as soon as she gets to Luffy, she tearfully opens her heart to express how she honestly felt! As she was revealing the truth behind Robin’s desertion, Nami fully opened herself to her captain

To Luffy, this is a very important matter. One of the reasons why can be easily found in the Arlong Park arc. After Luffy crushes Arlong, Genzo (Nami’s sorta father-like figure) makes Luffy promise something:

Luffy’s final answer to this promise was both subtle and obvious:

So, one of the reasons that motivate Luffy can be summed up as a sense of compromise. One side of Luffy’s character that people don’t see very often.

Becoming Nami’s “emotional anchor” was a choice first. It turned into a compromise the moment Luffy accepted Nami’s smile, her happiness, as his responsibility. A role he can fulfill by providing Nami with comfort, relief, hope, and strength. But in order for Luffy to provide Nami with such emotional support, she must keep up that remarkable trust and unwavering faith she developed for him.

For Luffy, this goes beyond a sense of compromise. Let us remember once again his response to the prospect of Nami doubting him and his capabilities:

A large portion of the emotional narrative Oda cooked for SW revolved around Luffy/Nami bond. So, in this regard, Luffy proved how much of an impact Nami’s perception of his person has on him. This is not just because he has to fulfill a role to keep a promise; now this is more about how Luffy wants Nami to see him. A sign of a strong chemistry developing between these characters

It’s no surprise to those who saw the movie, and read the manga, to see that Nami not only highly appreciates the active and personal efforts Luffy made to ‘keep her smiling’, she also responds to Luffy by putting a similarly great deal of faith/trust in her captain and making it her duty to safely guide him to his next adventures

This is why Nami running to Luffy and opening to share how she felt was something both natural and consistent…

…because Luffy gives her that 'firm hold’ that provides her with the emotional support she needs as they go through hardships

This is one of the reasons why Nami took it so personal when Sanji brutalized Luffy while trash-talking his dreams. He physically and mentally assaulted the source of that strength, support, and comfort she received so many times in the past

While none of this is explicitly romantic, it still holds a much greater value than what some people usually seek in shipping: a relationship based mostly on the fleeting thrill of “sexy” physical interactions rather than a bond nourished by emotional chemistry. While they try to add to their premises this sense of depth, they only accomplish their task by ignoring and/or downgrading what the story portrays as more significant and impactful moments

A deep and meaningful emotional bonding, that grows up naturally, can enhance and improve any potential intimacy between the characters, and it worths a lot more than claims of “sexual tension” or “high sexual drive” headcanons