What makes a Potent Pairing stand out? (LuNa Edition)

Original post: June, 2018 

“Love is Friendship caught fire; it is quiet, mutual confidence, sharing and forgiving. It is loyalty through good and bad times." 

"It’s the day-in and day-out chronicle of irritations, problems, compromises, small disappointments, big victories, and working toward common goals.”

- Laura Hendricks 

When it comes to potent relationships featured in literary works, several people often look for something that resonates with their perspective of what they would like in a relationship with a significant other. 

Sometimes, that creates highly subjective views on what the story presents for characters and their connections with others. So, it’s fair to ask: what makes a relationship stand out from the rest? 

Logically, it has to stay true to both story and characters, while displaying some factors already explained in a previous analysis: meaningful behaviors, significant gestures, emotional support, all within multiple major and minor moments. 

Also, as stated by the concept of Potent Bonding, the story gradually and consistently stresses on their relationship.

These are minimum requirements for a well-written relationship as any premise lacking actual development and build-up falls within the realm of bad/lazy writing forcing half-baked connections.

Now that we cleared that up, what does LuNa offer that other premises don’t? What makes such relationship stand out from the rest? 

One element would be a remarkably solid chemistry. Something that started with these characters both actively and passively challenging each other’s perspectives; a conflict that reached its peak at Arlong Park when Nami after losing all hope chooses to rely on Luffy who personally provides her with the strength and emotional comfort she needed so badly in a very impactful scene…

…this is something that Luffy had to personally resolve with Nami to earn her trust and loyalty. Notice how the scene didn’t need much dialogue, in fact, most of that emotional narrative is told through actions and meaningful gestures instead of exaggerated and corny lines.

What adds more to LuNa would be the fact that Luffy not only actively tried to reach out to Nami, he did it without knowing anything about her background nor the reason behind her despair, he did it without having any real reason to put faith in her. All he knew were two things: he wanted her in his crew, and someone made her cry… that was the only motivation he needed, even though her life wasn’t in danger, to personally become the emotional crutch of a girl who tried to push him away.

This came to a point that even when Nami’s father figure made him promise not to take away Nami’s smile, Luffy’s final response was this…

…he took Nami’s happiness as his responsibility, and he did it with a smile. This adds a sense of compromise to their relationship.

But it doesn’t end there. Using this as the foundation of their bond, the story stressed their relationship at several points and arcs.

By the time of the Drum Island arc, Nami started to return that faith/trust put in her by placing her life in Luffy’s hands as he decides to climb a mountain to get Nami medical attention.

At this point, we should remember that when writing chemistry between characters it should never be implied that one owns the other a relationship because of favors done. Saving someone is not enough to establish a solid chemistry, so it’s not about the fact that Luffy helped to save Nami, instead, it’s more about the mutual confidence between them and how that affects the characters.

This is something that makes LuNa different from other premises, as shippers often like to rely on the argument of “he saved her, so they should be together.” Instead of that, we get a strong bond that consistently grows through the loyalty and virtues of a deep companionship without the need for overly mushy stuff.

Moving on to Skypiea, we find out Luffy’s struggle to earn Nami’s faith/trust was not over yet. When going through a crisis (most of the crew getting easily stomped by Enel), Nami ended up giving into fear and the uncertainty of their situation filled her with doubts even when Luffy was fighting the big bad of the arc. What was Luffy’s response?

He reminded Nami that as a the companion of the future Pirate King she didn’t need to fret so much. Through a meaningful gesture, he managed to quell Nami’s anxiety and provide her with the courage to face Enel by herself. While this is a moment that had been considered several times in the past its importance in the context of the Luffy/Nami relationship stands out in future showings.

The first result is obvious, Luffy solidifies his role as Nami’s emotional anchor. Something that doesn’t need much explanation at this point and doesn’t rely on scenes or words taken out of context.

But the aftermath of this moment is felt much later in Oda’s works. She opens herself to Luffy at Water 7 while revealing Robin’s true motives, and during the movie Oda wrote (Strong World), we saw how her first reaction when dazed or anxious is to look for Luffy.

And it’s easy to notice that after the timeskip this hasn’t really changed, as Nami continues to rely on Luffy the most to the point she was completely confident on him being the one that would beat Yeti Cool Bros. to rescue her. Not to mention the way she received him at Zou is quite consistent with their moment at the Aqua Laguna in Water 7, while she’s happy to see them Nami runs to Luffy’s arms seeking for hope and comfort

Notice that while other premises rely on gags, jokes, or claims of sexual tension, this relationship offers strength and emotional support when most needed, along with mutual faith/trust without being overly corny/clichéd or putting a heavy load on the story.

The effect this connection has on Nami even subverts the expectations of many readers. When she saw a Sweet Commander sending Luffy flying through several trees, several readers expected her to leave Luffy fighting alone and proceed with their mission by her own.

But, what did she do?

She stood by Luffy’s side and helped him to fight in the ways she could at the moment. Her loyalty and bravery shine through this arc.

When people saw a wounded and exhausted Luffy was about to fight the Enraged Army, several readers expected Nami to run away, let Luffy fight on his own, and find a better chance to continue their mission.

But, what did she do?

Once again, she stood by Luffy’s side. Nami tried to convince him to hide, but when Luffy refused because he was determined to wait for Sanji there, she supported Luffy and fought alongside him against overwhelming odds. A stark contrast to Skypiea; here Luffy didn’t need to provide her with courage. In this case, Nami displayed a remarkable bravery and faithfully supported Luffy even when facing these dreadful circumstances.

On the other hand, when it comes to Luffy, he is defined by Oda himself as someone very “straightforward about what he wants to be and how he feels,” and this is reflected in the way he bonds with other characters. He’s like an open book that doesn’t hide his feelings; he easily expresses his excitement about the wonders he gets to see, and at times he shows his mettle during serious situations.

After Nami made an impression on him during the Buggy arc, Luffy knew that he wanted her in his crew to the point he wasn’t willing to let her go. We know he never doubted Nami or gave up on her even when given enough reasons to do so. And when given the chance to learn why Nami was refusing to join him, he didn’t care; Luffy just wanted Nami as his navigator and acted on his feelings.

One example that shows how their chemistry stands out is the way Oda wrote Luffy’s character in Strong World…

We previously saw how Luffy did his best to strengthen the trust and faith between him and Nami. So, how does he react to the prospect of Nami doubting him and not relying on him anymore…

If you want more information about why would a man react this way, feel free to check this detailed analysis on Strong World and LuNa

Now, Luffy demands absolute trust and loyalty from Nami, and as the story shows, he’s willing to fight to earn them. Something that holds a greater meaning than exaggerated flirting or physical appeal.

This relationship also offers him far more than other premises do…

We can find an example of this in an interesting detail about their emotional chemistry. A friend of mine pointed out a contrast provided by this scene…

…when the crew read about Luffy’s great loss during the Marineford War, they tried their best to reach the place where they were going to reunite. When we get Nami’s response to this matter she has a flashback about Luffy’s concern for Ace despite his choice of letting him be. So, she wanted to be there for him because she knew what Luffy needed the most at that moment was emotional support, something he gave to her several times in the past.

While a smitten woman was simply offering food to Luffy while fantasizing about him, Nami was going to offer what Luffy truly needed: support, relief, and comfort. Granted, the entire crew was trying to go back to Luffy as soon as they read the news, but that doesn’t change the fact Nami wanted to give Luffy something far more meaningful and thoughtful in the context of an actually healthy and strong relationship. Partly based on what she knew and remembered of him along with everything they went through until that point.

It’s true that Nami has a fiery temper, but despite this fact, Luffy is still willing to keep bonding with her. This is another aspect that helps them to stand out, not for the bickering, but rather how Nami tries to put a rein on Luffy due to how much of a reckless daredevil he is.

In this regard, they complement each other in the way she later explained in Weatheria; she’s like the compass that keeps Luffy from losing his way allowing him to venture into the sea. And going by the story and the flashbacks that reveal how she felt throughout her speech, to her Luffy is like the rock that gives a firm hold of her emotional turmoil in times of distress.

The fact they complement each other is not a coincidence either. Most of the companions Luffy got on his journey have skills or personalities shaped around his needs, and this is somewhat highlighted by Luffy himself during Arlong Park.

To put it in other terms, he’s not very bright and he’s left to go on his own in the sea he won’t go far. That’s why he needs someone that can, as other people already explained, navigate him through his decision-making; someone that could challenge a poor course of action and provide with a brain for his brawls all while being willing to go on adventures and crossing the seas.

This is consistent with Luffy’s character. In contrast, by relying on filler, hype, or pandering several shippers promote premises that go against Luffy’s straightforward nature, but LuNa offers something that fits into his characters and leaves enough room to grow stronger without hindering the story nor reducing the quality of its writing.

All things considered, what we’ve seen in Oda’s works is the indication of a deep “love” binding them together, poetry that writes itself. While it’s not something explicitly romantic in the traditional sense of the word, it’s still strong enough for their bond to stand out from the rest as a Potent Relationship.