#potent pairing

Just like the previous post, we’re making a contrast between shippers’ definition of “chemistry” or “almost canon,” and what chemistry truly is.

I often mentioned this but many shippers believe that “saving the girl” should result in romance. However, when writing chemistry between characters it should never be implied one character owes the other a relationship because of favors done…

We all know Natsu saved and protected Lucy multiple times throughout the series...

...and even though such moments are not as hyped as similar scenes involving other characters, “saving the girl” is not representative of chemistry between characters. In fact, other elements must be involved in any kind of scene to qualify as an actual “moment.”

But, if “saving the girl” isn’t enough to build a solid chemistry, what kind of moments showcase that particular aspect of the bond between Natsu and Lucy?

Do you recall the battle against Hades? The bad guy easily recovered from Natsu’s LFD roar and was ready to attack once again, leading Team Natsu, which includes Lucy, to the brink of despair. Lucy held onto Natsu begging for someone to give them hope...

...and then Natsu reacts to Lucy’s desperate embrace. Realizing someone dear to him was right beside him gave him enough strength to inspire Lucy and the rest to overcome fear and keep going.

An essential factor of emotional chemistry is both characters being capable of affecting each other, leaving an impact in one another. Still, some people may remain skeptical about this argument, luckily for us we have similar moments in the author’s works:

Natsu providing Lucy with emotional support from time to time, leading to memorable moments:

...and whether she realizes it or not, Lucy also leaves her mark on Natsu’s character and can even motivate him to take action...

Many FT readers find, one way or another, multiple moments that showcase the strength of NaLu and highlight their chemistry.

However, not everyone is capable of perceiving how the story nourishes this relationship, not only by means of obvious moments but also by the context of several scenes.

This is one of the reasons why wankers are prone to ignore or completely disregard context to fabricate something to make implausible premises (cracks) seem as solid as a semi-canon pairing.

For example, some use the following scenario as a sign of a rising romantic relationship: the female lead slaps a character she and her partner are familiar with because he trash-talked the values the guild stood for, something that hurt her a lot.

Granted it was all an act and the guy apologized at the end, but the slap and apology are still overhyped by wankers as something as big as what NaLu may offer.

However, when this scene is put in the context of what Lucy’s character was going through, the story points in a different direction.

The scene was painful to Lucy because she was struggling against the fear of the FT guild, which she considers her family, not coming back, and having a member of that family bad-mouthing the guild only confirmed her fears... until it was revealed that was all an act. And this isn’t just speculation; right after everyone returned, Lucy expressed to Natsu, Happy, and Wendy this fear she had

But the context also offers something else. Let us ask, what gave Lucy the strength and hope she needed to, at the very least, fight this fear?

Instead of “what” we should ask “who.” The answer? Natsu, who not only provided Lucy with the hope she needed in a passive way. He also took action in response to her desire to get the guild back together and brought her to an adventure to reunite their scattered guildmates.

Again, this isn’t mere speculation. Natsu worked in the idea of getting the guild back together right after this scene:

While not explicitly romantic, these actions are far more meaningful than an overhyped slap/apology.

It’s safe to say that this element is quite unfriendly with less likely premises. Still, context not only refutes non-sensical arguments, but it also enhances NaLu moments when factoring it into the equation.

For example, the movie storyboarded by Mashima himself, Dragon Cry, features a moment previously analyzed in another post. The moment by itself looks strong, but it’s the context that further solidifies the scene as “NaLu.”

At the beginning of the story, we get Natsu asking Lucy in a curious manner “What do I look like?”. This line will be repeated at the end in the form of a "meaningful echo" as Natsu beats the bad guy with a new transformation (which made him look more like a dragon and less like a person for a while).

So, the context now gives the scene a deeper meaning as it shows how much Natsu values the perspective Lucy has of his person and how it affects his character the way she sees him.

More often than not, context allows readers to grasp the substance of a relationship and, in some cases, even individual characters.

On the other hand, there’s another underrated element many either disregard or misinterpret. It is something we already considered in an earlier post, but given how wankers try to twist this concept to downgrade NaLu, we’re going to touch this subject once again: Chemistry

As we explained before, many readers can admit NaLu has several moments throughout the author’s works, but wankers or haters still deem this bond as something lacking in “real chemistry.”

Some of you probably read my previous “rant” before and realized, one way or another, wankers promote arguments to say “implausible” premises can easily match what NaLu has. And one relatively new argument relies on the claim of certain cracks having “real chemistry” while NaLu doesn’t have any...

Does this claim hold any merits?

Short answer: No. Logic and evidence refute such arguments

First, let us consider the term “chemistry” once again. To truly understand this concept in the context of literary works we need to what true chemistry is not

True chemistry is not about commonalities. Usually playing the straight man or woman in crazy situations doesn't automatically makes you a match for someone who may do the same.

True chemistry is not about saving the girl or getting rescued by someone. A typical advice about writing chemistry indicates that it should never be implied that a character owns the other a relationship because of favors done. Saving the girl is not enough to claim a pairing has the "superior" chemistry.

Now that we cleared that up, we can answer the question: What is chemistry?

In the context of relationships, chemistry is related to mutual trust/faith; it’s a natural connection, "a bond, or common feeling between two people." In fact, "real chemistry between characters happens when they affect each other in big ways." 

So, we can measure chemistry, not by commonalities, not by the characters' overall intelligence, but by how the moments they share leave an impact. When meaningful gestures and significant moments result in an emotional attachment.

But, despite all of this wankers may insist on their premises being just as solid as NaLu. What do they use as “evidence” for this claim?

The first thing many of these shippers tend to use is a “Freudian Slip” to prove a Mr. Fanservice character is seeking a romantic relationship with Lucy. The line goes something like this: “She’s kinda cute.”

Does NaLu have something better than that?

He deemed Lucy as “precious” to him as he battled the one who killed Lucy’s future self. His tears along with his actions made his words far more meaningful than a mere “Freudian Slip.”

Another moment that wankers may use involves this setting: Lucy powering through a great deal of danger and pain to save Natsu’s life with the assistance of the guy wankers promote as her would-be lover.

Does NaLu have an answer to that? Yes! All thanks to the context

The epicenter of Lucy’s emotional and physical struggle is Natsu and his potential fate after releasing him from the one thing that ties his life to Zeref’s existence.

What wankers used to justify their premises in this point of the story, turns out to be more supporting evidence of the strength of Lucy’s bond with Natsu when we factor context!

All that these shippers have left are very occasional “saved the girl” scenes and a few displays of “concern.”

We already mentioned how the reasoning “saving the girl means she owns her savior a relationship,” doesn’t match what a natural chemistry between characters should be. But, for the sake of debate let’s consider these moments anyway.

Wankers use these few showings to claim their favored character should get the 1st spot in Lucy’s heart. Because he shows “concern.” Doesn’t Natsu show a lot of concern for Lucy?

He’s pretty open about it and displays “concern” for her pretty often too, sometimes becoming hard to contain when it comes to the prospect of saving/protecting Lucy

So, if “concern” is the factor to claim a guy should be the girl’s lover/boyfriend/husband, then why wankers hype other characters over Natsu?

What about “saving the girl” scenes?

Natsu protected and saved Lucy...

...multiple times

If saving the girl = we’re a thing now, then why wankers still say their favorite option is the one who has the romantic relationship with Lucy instead of Natsu?

When all arguments are exhausted all that remains is one overhyped instance of Lucy teaming up with a cool sexy guy to parry several sand projectile attacks and claims of “wonderful friendship.”

If teamwork is a factor, then why the “most compatible team” as stated by the manga doesn’t get the same hype?

When analyzing the author’s works, we can see Natsu and Lucy displayed how well they worked together several times

When it comes to their relationship, in a previous post we also considered how their companionship and their potential to become a canon pairing can easily be described as “wonderful,” or as Lucy said: it’s always more fun when we’re together

At the end of the GMG arc, we could see how their bond, the “common feeling” between them could transcend time and space

So, why cracks are the ones deemed as “wonderful” while NaLu gets discarded?

The point is that even when several shippers claim the “saved the girl” scenes from their favored premises hold more merit, NaLu casually matches and surpasses the best they have.

This comparison is not meant to imply that saving the girl cannot be used to advance or enhance the romantic potential of a relationship. Some stories may resort to such a trope to build particular bonds, but what makes such scenes stand out is the context.

For example, one of the first NaLu moments seen in the series is when Lucy gets rescued by Natsu during the Phantom Lord arc. NaLu benefits from this scene not because Natsu was saving Lucy, but for the overall context of her situation...

...as some readers may realized by now, hearing Natsu’s voice as all that Lucy needed to jump off, taking what we could consider a “leap of faith.” This scene helps to stablish a great trust that’s growing between the characters involved.

It becomes even more meaningful when considered as part of a much bigger whole; this “whole” being the progression that created the emotional attachment that Natsu and Lucy share for one another.

Still, despite everything we’ve seen in the author’s works, even some NaLu shippers use this flawed logic to throw Lucy to the bed of a “better-looking” character or having her marry someone “cooler.” All while keeping Natsu, in the case of those who still remember he’s there, as the “other guy.”

This little exercise is meant to illustrate how, even when playing with some particular shippers’ “rules,” NaLu remains as the choice that makes the most sense and has the better chemistry. Unlike what some wankers/haters may say or think, NaLu is more than just a bunch of lovely fanarts.

Some shippers may disregard Natsu as the logical option because of his personality. He’s a good-hearted thrill-seeker; someone upbeat with a fondness for pranks and collecting mementos, as well as someone who’s prone to let out his emotions.

Several shippers don’t find such traits attractive or “worthy” of Lucy, while they favor the archetype of a stylish Mr. Fanservice character who has a cool, calm, and collected personality.

But, a potent relationship is not about what shippers consider “worthy” or “best boi.”

A potent relationship is about meaningful gestures, multiple impactful moments, consistent bonding, and a solid emotional chemistry.

One last thing to consider is this little detail: Some wankers decided to use the cover of chapter 379 not only as a sign of their crack being “semi-canon” but also as a tag for their premise.

When a hater tried to use the cover to attack rival shippers, even casual readers laughed at how delusional was claiming that cover contained anything that could support a pairing.

Then again, if we play by these wankers rules, we could mention two little pieces made by Mashima himself that when put together give us a pretty obvious message:

Before anyone gets any ideas, the title doesn’t refer to the “quirks” from “My Hero Academia”

This is a subject often discussed in this blog. Some NaLu shippers often claim that Lucy has better chemistry with “dorks” much cooler and better-looking than Natsu.

A previous analysis dealt with the definition of chemistry to clear that up and show how Natsu and Lucy have an unmatched chemistry when their moments are put into the context of their relationship and the way the story stresses on their connection throughout the series.

However, there is a reason why many readers (which includes self-proclaimed NaLu shippers) are not able to grasp this particular aspect of NaLu.

Because of Natsu’s character

To elaborate on this point, we need to go over what shippers usually hype as “chemistry.”

One argument describes “smiling at each other” along “the way the guy looks at the girl” as the signs of a stronger chemistry between characters.

Smiling, just like many other forms of non-verbal communication between humans is something complex with a wide variety of meanings depending on the people and the culture.

In some cases, a smile can be used to flirt. Others may use it to convey a sense of trust and good-will. But, it all depends on the context.

Now, if a smile is enough for shippers to make claims of romantic “chemistry,” shouldn’t we consider several of the moments between Natsu and Lucy as proof of a strong chemistry between them?

There is a saying that goes “the eyes are the window to the soul.” If the way the guy looks at Lucy is what makes him a better match for her, shouldn’t we consider the way Natsu looks at her before jumping to conclusions?

What about the way Lucy looks at Natsu?

So, if Natsu shares with Lucy moments that fit into what shippers wrongly assume is chemistry, why aren’t such moments deserving of hype? Are those cooler dorks doing something Natsu isn’t?

It’s actually the other way around. Natsu is doing something that much cooler dorks don’t...

As explained before, Natsu is a thrill-seeker. But, he’s also quite a trouble-maker who’s fond of pranks. None of these traits represents something negative when kept at a reasonable level.

However, unlike other more calm and collected characters, the quirks in Natsu’s attitude become a turn-off for many fans (even those who claim to love Natsu often hype those other guys because of this). That creates a contrast that makes much more level-headed and somewhat mature guys become more attractive to both readers and watchers.

That doesn’t mean overhyped males don’t have their own personality quirks. In fact, the author constantly uses one of those particular traits to draw readers in. And that’s part of the contrast. While Natsu’s personality may repel shippers, other guys’ quirks only add more to their appeal, which makes it easier to hype them over Natsu.

Now, the shippers’ take on this matter could make someone question: Does Natsu’s quirky personality diminish or eliminate any potential chemistry he may have with Lucy?

Even those who “ship” NaLu may imply that’s the case. But, how would story and characters answer this question?

No! Natsu’s quirks don’t weaken the emotional connection he shares with Lucy

The moments they had in the story when taken into context, show how they consistently build and strengthen their relationship while both characters remain true to themselves.

If you guys remember the first full-fledged NaLu analysis in this blog, or if you read the manga, you’ll probably recall this moment...

...while everyone is partying at the festival, Natsu is the one who not only misses Lucy, who couldn’t go to the party because she got sick, he took action to fulfill her desire of seeing one of those rainbow trees.

Did Natsu’s trouble-making personality ruined or “diluted” this gesture? No, the fact Natsu is someone who expresses himself mostly through actions rather than words made this moment something more meaningful.

By the time of the GMG, we get more scenes that help to solidify the growing emotional attachment between Natsu and Lucy. While she’s crying on the ground because of her loss against Flare, Natsu is the one who approaches Lucy, acknowledges her growth and tries to get her spirits up in his very own way...

... that night she had a more positive look and stuck close to the person that gave her comfort after such experience.

We already considered how the impact of such moments still resonates even in the Avatar arc. Natsu somewhat became her rock, someone who provided her with the emotional support she needed through actions rather than words.

But, that’s not all. While shippers insist that cuteness and comedy are all NaLu has going for it, their relationship actually offers several things people may seek when looking for a “partner.”

For example, Natsu often tries to make Lucy happy; he actively seeks to comfort her and make her feel better whenever she needs it...

...something she came to greatly value as well as deeply appreciate...

This aspect of their bond started up small, but as time went by, it became something of a second nature to Natsu. Still, it never feels out of place or out of character. Natsu remained as someone pretty impulsive, the difference is that as Lucy starts to have an effect on him, he now seeks ways to stay close to her as often as possible by offering Lucy fun and warmth.

As explained in another post, such thing results in Natsu making her excited about her life and adventures in Fairy Tail, which brings more joy and satisfaction to their relationship.

Now, some people even look for emotional chemistry without even realizing what it truly is. The most basic concept, as stated before, consists of emotional support along with significant moments that leave an impact on the persons involved.

A partner that provides with hope and strength

That’s what chemistry looks like! A partner who gives you courage and determination...

...while sometimes making you feel concern

Someone who makes you feel lucky

So, should we say that Natsu’s quirky personality makes NaLu something weaker than other premises? Absolutely not!

Personality traits don’t make NaLu weaker. A well-written relationship is not based on mere commonalities or how cool/sexy some dorks are. A potent relationship is more about impactful moments building up an emotional connection.

That’s how the author managed to convey the idea of characters forming and developing a deep and strong bond without such a process feeling forced. This emotional narrative paves the way for an organic and coherent development.

This was going to be a completely different post but given recent developments within the fandom, I had to rewrite this whole thing.

Some people had been making several claims implying that the relationship between Natsu and Lucy is as strong as one featured in an impotent pairing. Others choose to endorse cracks as something solid and big enough to overtake NaLu.

However, these claims not always come from wankers who tend to overhype flawed premises over potent relationships. Some of them are the result of a remarkable lack of knowledge and/or information.

Regardless, there is a reason why NaLu itself proves such claims wrong. For starters, I’d like to quote a non-shipper that inspired me to logically analyze these matters (if you’re reading this, sorry! But I need to quote you to illustrate the point)

“When it comes to the validity of the arguments used in pairing discussions, it's best to look at the weight of each argument presented. And by weight I mean the magnitude of supporting evidence and backing/credibility that each pairing has.”

Why is this important? Because when we’re looking for a potent relationship within a story, we have to rely on “moments” to support the most likely outcome. We can also remember what we’ve learned about chemistry, how emotionally supporting and inspiring one another is a big component of a solid chemistry between the characters.

But, there’s something funny about this. According to another great thinker I quoted and look up to, “Impotent Pairings” may have a couple of nice moments too! In the case of Fairy Tail, even some interactions make people overhype and actively endorse “Cracks” over other more likely premises.

So, what could make a potent relationship stand out from the rest if even Impotent Pairings and some Cracks get a few moments and a lot of hype?

Let’s quote the difference between them:

Impotent Pairings “had some type of stress in their relationship at some point of the series” but they “become stagnant” and often get treated like a joke by the story.

This is where Potent Pairings become different because they’re “supported by multiple logical arguments, a high degree of intimacy between characters, and significant/meaningful moments.”

So, Impotent Pairings had a couple of moments at some point in the story, but they ultimately become neglected by both the characters and the story. They stop having any sort of relevant moments.

Meanwhile, Potent Pairings keep receiving a flow of minor but meaningful interactions as well as significant showings that can leave an impact on the characters.

What defines a Potent Pairing is a consistent bonding based on a long chain of relevant moments between the characters.

Writing a Potent Relatioship is like constructing a building, where each piece of construction, each meaningful or impactful moment that nourish their emotional connectionn, becomes a part of a much larger whole.

That is why the bond of NaLu so strong. While shippers overhype a few of pieces, they tend to ignore the fact that moments that don’t build-up the relationship between the characters or ultimately lead nowhere are not even enough to construct “a small house” metaphorically speaking.

If a pat on the head is enough to put a pairing in the map, then chapter 5 of the Fairy Tail sequel would’ve made a crack pairing canon.

The point is: that what makes moment relevant is their magnitude when coming all together and how they manage to strengthen the relationship between the characters while creating a solid chemistry. Setting the stage for a potentially canon pairing.

This post isn’t meant to undermine the importance of minor NaLu interactions. This analysis is meant to show that in order to backup a claim of a relationship actually being a potent pairing, we need impactful moments as a foundation, with the other minor showings adding up to the big ones!

If a premsie relies solely on minor interactions that lead nowhere, people cannot make a solid argument for a relationship becoming a potent pairing. Just like someone cannot construct a building with only two small pieces of wood.

Note: I’ll be posting condensed versions of this analysis in other sites

A) Relevance of plot and characterization AKA Unbiased Readers Vs. Delusional Shippers “Who lives on illusions dies from disappointment” – An old Puerto Rican saying Most of us know One Piece is a very popular manga. Its high quality and popularity depend on several factors, among them we could name memorable and likable characters along a deep, compelling, fun and action-packed story. The One Piece many know and love wouldn’t exist without the balance between these factors When talking to at least 3 different One Piece fans, each of them non-shippers who analyzed the manga they all enjoy, I found interesting and pretty sound perspectives of the One Piece story and its nature. All of them value characters, story, development, consistency, and logic; something I can totally relate to But I also found a pattern; these 3 guys shared one single outlook on the very same subject: shipping. Regardless of their expectations, all of them expressed distaste for shippers’ general mindset and “odd” viewpoint: One of them called shippers out for ignoring characterization and very clear and direct statements made in the manga. His attention was centered on a Luffy pairing and how it contradicts his own character. Oda once explained that he writes Luffy as someone pretty straightforward when it comes to expressing his thoughts and feelings, and this non-shipper said with brutal honesty that for the discussed ship to happen we would need to disregard and/or discard the very core of Luffy’s character. Meaning Oda would need to stop being consistent and faithful to his own story and characters The next one explained how shippers tend to turn a characters’ relationship into a sappy teen love fantasy that doesn’t match One Piece at all. His analysis also exposed how integrating this kind of underdeveloped “love” into the story would severely damage One Piece originality, ruin the series and needless to say destroy the likable dynamics between several characters as well as their own development. This fantasy, this so-called “love”, is what the vast majority of shippers support and defend. The same kind of “love” most non-shippers, fans, and critics dread The third non-shipper gave me a more detailed explanation: this is even more rough than the other two as he describes that the common shipper mentality of “he/she likes her/him so they should be together” can “only be likened to that of elementary schoolers”. And how shippers take every little meaningless detail and blow it out of proportion with no regard for context, legitimate bonding or the canon story! But we can’t put all the blame on shippers. Many manga authors seem to have no idea how to write a character-driven series or complex character relationships. In fact, mainstream shonen writers have their fair share of guilt into promoting this common shipping mindset by being notoriously bad at writing romance. Which results in underveloped premises that leave your average fan skeptical, and your average critic disappointed at a poor portrayal of emotional bonding and a severe lack of cohesive narrative in the "romantic love" department This is the reason why many fans, critics and non-shippers hold the shippers’ perspective in a very low regard. Just like the third non-shipper states: “The blushing, longing stares, corny ass lines etc. That kind of poorly portrayed romance is the kind of thing dreaded by the average fan because it reduces the quality of One Piece to the level of such poorly written series” So an author needs to build a relationship the same way one person would construct a building: stablishing a strong foundation on companionship, respect, trust, signifcant moments, and emotional bonding. All of this must come before reaching the status of “romantic interest". In relation to this subject, there’s a trope called “First Girl Wins”, a portion of its description truly fits this criteria: “From a [extradiegetic] point of view, the Law of Conservation of Detail suggests introducing the Love Interest early. An early introduction allows you to get the audience interested in her and rooting for her, gives you space for Character Development, and gives her relationship with her (eventual) partner the most time to develop organically. And with all that said, it's such a common device that in all likelihood, it sometimes gets played for its own sake.” – tvtropes.org, 2017 Notice this isn’t a cliché, this is a literary device to enhance the story. Pairing up two characters without meaningful moments, emotional build-up and development, is the equivalent to lazy writing. Having such elements firmly stablished for two characters and then deciding to go for a different “route”, pretty much wasting a well-developed relationship for the sake of a “weaker” premise, would be the equivalent to bad writing Is Oda, the man who’s willing to die for One Piece, a lazy writer? Of course not! Is he, a man who planned the ending years ago and is still sticking to said ending, a bad writer? Being number 1 in Japan and having such a loyal fanbase all around the world prove he’s not! Do shippers want Oda to be a lazy/bad writer? Facts already answered this question as many (although not all) fans value their own fantasies and delusions over the manga canon and/or the author’s take on the characters and their relationships Many (but not all) shippers now have a war. Not only against rival ships but mainly against One Piece story and consistent development. Yet as the old saying goes, those who live on delusions will have to eventually face reality and disappointment, because Oda is not a lazy/bad writer like some people here would want him to be

B) Romance Dawn AKA The not so secret origins of One Piece “If we don't know where we are going, it can be helpful to know where we come from” – Jostein Gaarder When debating posible outcomes, fans rarely look back at the time when One Piecewas a still a work in progress. Taking a look at Romance Dawn V.1 and Romance Dawn V.2 helps us to see there are constants present in all versions of these Works that made it into what would later become the most popular manga in Japan But before discussing those constants I would like to clarify the meaning of the word: “Romance”. There are people who doesn’t really grasp the concept of “Romance” both One Piece and Oda work with. Luckily the first two non-shippers I meantioned shed some light on this subject: Romance: "A mysterious or fascinating quality or appeal, as of something adventurous, heroic, or strangely beautiful" "A long fictitious tale of heroes and extraordinary or mysterious events, usually set in a distant time or place" "A narrative in verse or prose, written in a vernacular language in the Middle Ages, dealing with strange and exciting adventures of chivalrous heroes" – thefreedictionary.com, 2016 "A prose narrative treating imaginary characters involved in events remote in time or place and usually heroic, adventurous, or mysterious" –  Merriam Webster, 2016 Romantic: "Marked by the imaginative or emotional appeal of what is heroic, adventurous, remote, mysterious, or idealized" "Having an inclination for romance: responsive to the appeal of what is idealized, heroic, or adventurous" –  Merriam Webster, 2016 These definitions match pretty well One Piece and Oda outlook on this concept. Even Oda lampshaped this by giving his own translation to the title: 冒険の夜明け (“Bōken no Yoake”, “Dawn of the Adventure”) So Oda’s “romance” covers a wide variety of themes: Adventure, heroism, mystery, virtue, idealism… we can find comedy and tragedy, happiness and sadness. And among the virtues and the idealism we find companionship and love. As the second non-shipper I mentioned explained One Piece is pretty much like an “Adventure novel”, which is why we’ll find in One Piece many of the tropes commonly used in those books Among those tropes, we find a couple of constants in all versions of “Romance Dawn”

The golden-hearted protagonist and the “First Girl” who doubles as a female lead. Think about this "what if" scenario: If things would’ve played different back then and One Piece never went beyond “Romance Dawn V.1”. If that story were to be elaborated futher, which two characters would had shared the most moments to become endgame? The answer is pretty simple: The golden-hearted protagonist and the female lead! But when debating, the weight of the argument depends on edvidence so we need to rely on what we can confirm. And we confirm this, what’s the constant in Luffy’s story in all versions of Romance Dawn? a Nami-like character

This becomes even more interesting when we discover that at an interview at “Manga no Chikara” and others, Nami was supposed to be the first one to join Luffy but her debut was postponed by Oda’s editor at that time. Edvidence of this being a last minute decision remains on the first color cover:

Yet as the second non-shipper noted: “her role as secondary protagonist was not altered” for “Nami shares with Luffy the largest character development in the entire series”. And as explained here we already know how the trope goes when someone seeks to write a natural growth for an emotional connection between two characters 

In fact, the relevance of Nami to Luffy’s story is implied in what Oda himself said about Strong World: “I really wanted to make a ‘hero saves the heroine’ story (ヒロインを助けるヒーローを描きたい the japanese sentence). [....]. You might think otherwise, but I had no intention of bringing in someone new to fill that [heroine] role. So when I had to think about whom to use for it amongst the straw hats of course that meant Nami”

In Oda’s mind, Luffy is the hero and Nami is the heorine! We can tell that the hero and the heroine are meant to be the driving forces of the series, and therefore putting them together makes the most sense from a storytelling perspective

C) LuffyxNami AKA LuNa/LuNami “Logical consequences are the scarecrows of fools and the beacons of wise men” – Thomas Huxley

Many shippers tend to ignore and disregard the importance of staying faithful to the canon story, and the author’s take on the characters and their relationships

To makes matters worst some of them even deem as illogical any argument solidly based on these factors. While considering stuff like lines, frogs, sweat, fire, nonexistent sexual tension, assumption of sexuality, and even assumptions of pregnancy, as legitimate proofs of a plausible outcome! In fact they even value comparisons to other series with a different tone, themes, and characters over anything that the One Piece author conveys through his work There’s even people who goes as far as editing the wiki as if that would change the story to match their preferred pairing! But in order to reach a conclusion that remains true to One Piece and its nature we have to rely on the very same foundation that was already described several times: mutual trust/respect, faith on one another, significant moments, stress in their relationship and emotional development. If the story doesn’t let you build your premises on these elements, the conclusion you’ll reach will obviously be flawed and stray away from what One Piece really is So here I’m not only defending the premise I strongly support; I’m defending the very same story and build-up that contributes to this bond’s natural growth: As explained before there’s nothing explicitly romantic about major interactions. But given we’re dealing with a good and dilligent writer, what we’ll get to see is how big to small moments stablish an emotional connection between two characters, and how that becomes the base for a even greater growth First we have the themes of trust and faith: At first Nami doesn’t trust Luffy very much, out of her clear distate for pirates, until witnessing how far was Luffy willing to go to selflessly help others. Even then Nami treated their relationship as a mere business and later betrayed the crew Still Luffy always trusted Nami to the point of putting blind faith in her. Even when given reasons not to do so. One remarkable example is when Luffy was informed by someone trustworthy (Johnny) that Nami apparently “killed” to Usopp, and Luffy not only kept holding onto his blind faith in Nami but he also threatened Johnny for saying such things about her

This becomes something remarkable when we take into consideration that Zoro quickly gave up on Nami and later tried to attack her without even a second thought! While Usopp just wanted  the Merry back…

And it would later become even more impressive in the Whiskey Peak Arc when Luffy came to doubt Zoro because of the words of wounded man he didn't even know, and even doubted Robin during Water 7 until Nami told him and the crew the truth behind Robin's desertion:

But what else makes this situation with Nami any different from others we see in the manga? Some might point to the saga where rescuing Robin was the primary objective; but in Robin's case Luffy knew her life was in danger for Robin was planning to die for the crew, and he got the resolve to save her only after learning the truth. Others might point to the current arc, but he saw right through Sanji's act and got desperate to rescue him only after hearing his life is in danger. Here, Nami’s life wasn't in danger as far as Luffy knew. And he constantly try to reach out to her despite her harsh attitude and the fact he knew next to nothing about her past and her current circumstances. It was only when he saw her cry he got enough motivation to beat Arlong, and it was only when he got a small glimpse of what she went through that he lost it! How does Nami respond to this? Initially she wanted to get Luffy out of her villaje and her life. While Nami indeed grew fond of Luffy and the others she wasn't willing to bond with any of them; she held on her distrust of others. But that changed when she finally hitted her lowest point, when she finally lost all hope. Then it comes Nami's first major development as character: she realized she needed to rely on someone else, she realized Luffy was her only hope Nami decided to rely on him. The following scene marks the first time of many when Nami relied on Luffy to a emotional level. And the first of two times when Luffy entrusted his treasure to her in a touching gesture to provide comfort and hope:

From the very beginning the emotional build-up between Luffy and Nami was a key factor for one of the most meaningful and memorable moments in One Piece. The moment when Luffy becomes Nami’s “emotional anchor” The effect Luffy had on her character was also quite powerful as we could see during the 2nd pass of the hat: back then at Skypiea arc Nami could still panic at dreadful situations: 

But as soon as Luffy gave her his treasure, the panic stopped and when he was later removed from the battle field, Nami was capable of drawing enough courage from Luffy to face the big bad from that arc:

Not to mention Luffy’s final move against Enel was combined effort of the two as well as an impressive display of mutual trust/faith We can continue to appreciate their development even futher as the story goes on. As someone already pointed out, Nami during Water 7 displayed an impressive resolve and determination, but as soon as she got the chance to explain Luffy their situation she opened her heart to express how she felt, her anguish and her distress. When Luffy reassures her that he will save Robin, she doesn’t cry anymore until she reunites with Robin Their bonding is even futher explored in the only One Piece movie fully written by Oda: Strong World. As this is the author’s take on their relationship is still a valid argument to support Luffy/Nami development: We already considered how impressive Luffy’s blind faith in Nami can be. So after listening to most of Nami's recorded message, Luffy gets enraged! Why?

Well, after all that time Luffy relied on his navigator without ever doubting her. He was likely expecting all his trust and faith in Nami to be reciprocated Turns out Nami does return that feeling! And why can we say that? Remember the movie's ending: Nami finds out everyone in the crew got her hidden "save me" at the end of her message... everyone but Luffy. Then when Luffy is about to play the recorded proof of Nami's unwavering faith in him, what does she do? She tries to get rid of the "edvidence" out of embarrassment 

It’s easy to see then why Nami seeked out Luffy for hope and comfort during Zou. And how she did something similar to what happened in Water 7: she opened up to Luffy

I said it before, since Luffy is Nami’s “emotional anchor”, it makes sense for her to keep strengthening her bond with Luffy. And given Luffy needs a guide to new adventures and someone “mature” enough to sometimes keep him in line, it makes sense for Luffy to grow closer to Nami She once summed it up pretty well: "He always talks big, but when it comes down to it, he knows nothing about the sea! He's severely lacking in the 'sense of danger' area! And he always overdoes it...if I left him alone, he'd die. And he's stupid, so I have to take care of him. That's why I'm gonna help him!" - Nami, chapter 596 Still, none of this is explicitly romantic in the traditional sense of the word. But just like someone who’s constructing a building, we start dealing with the foundations to then proceed to make a solid structure: a well-written relationship that enhances the story As someone once reviewed, Luffy and Nami dynamic doesn’t need to change for them to become endgame for they already have anything they need to finish that “building”. And that’s what’s being a potent pairing means: having everything to your favor for further development and growth. Luffy and Nami definitively have the major moments and the emotional bonding while remaining consistent to the One Piece canon to be considered a Potent Pairing

Bonus:

It's interesting we find other interaction that proves how comfortable is Nami around Luffy: 

She doesn't mind having Luffy around her, what she really minds is Luffy wanting to go to dangerous places But why is this relevant? In Thriller Bark we had a clear showing of how she reacts to pervs trying to accomplish what Luffy did here. She electrocutes them. We can confirm she haven't changed in this regard because at the end of Fishman Island arc Nami electrocutes a perv for trying to peek at her while she was taking a bath Another interesting detail about Nami's attitude toward Luffy is a change we see in WCI. Of course, we have the remarkable faith and trust Nami puts on Luffy by even boasting how him being the future Pirate King ensures their victory over Cracker's ability.

But the real change is when Sanji brutalizes Luffy. Nami already stated she felt guilty for what happened when Sanji got taken. But when Sanji did his "little" number on Luffy her attitude changed, she not only begged him to stop but was also promising they'll leave if he did (Luffy clearly disagreed on that)

After seeing the way Sanji treated her captain, Nami did something the could seem pretty justified because of what happened: she slapped Sanji and then sarcastically played along Sanji's "royal" act. When she goes to Luffy and finds out her captain is not relenting on his effort to get Sanji back, she gives us this little gem:

Given recent developments within some fandoms as well as the misconceptions wankers try to spread regarding the validity of crack pairings within the story, I decided to bring up once again the standard for canon and potent relationships in literary works.

The base of this post was outlined by @decadus someone I personally admire. He’s allowed to make changes to this system.

* Crack impossible: Pairings that contradict other pairings with well-established canon material, and has zero context that can be most logically interpreted as romantic. They’re heavily lacking in development and/or meaningful moments. * Crack Possible: Pairings that do not contradict well-established canon material, but have none-the-less zero context between the characters that can be most accurately be defined as romantic. They’re heavily lacking in meaningful moments. * Impotent Pairings: Pairings that do not have a high chance of developing into canon, but nevertheless had some type of stress in their relationship at some point of the series. Romantic attraction can be a joke or comedic element of the plot. This kind of pairings had become stagnant as the story (and possibly the author as well) doesn’t bother to develop them any further. They’re constantly overshadowed by the following type. * Potent Pairings: Pairings with a high chance of developing into canon, supported by multiple logical arguments, a high degree of intimacy between characters, and significant/meaningful moments. This kind of pairing has a great deal of development and stress on their relationship. * Canon Pairings: Exactly what says on the tin. While the pairing does not have to be dating, or married, or whatever, the existence of romantic love must be there and the feelings should be mutual

This system is the standard that this blog follows in the analysis of potent relationships.