Any fan of battle shonen anime has likely heard some variation of the phrase, “Wow! The protagonist has this miraculous ability to make anyone their friend!” It’s become an unsurprising trope, but it’s definitely become treasured as one of the most powerful staples of any shonen series, and One Piece is no different.
Inspired by Dragon Ball, a franchise where Son Goku has befriended intergalactic overlords who have tried to either destroy or enslave Earth, One Piece is full of surprising friendships and alliances seemingly pop up from everywhere and anywhere. That’s just how the pirate game works there, where scoundrels of all sorts have to be prepared to make lifesaving deals in an instant and Luffy is always waiting with Straw Hat applications.
Jango And Fullbody
![One Piece: 10 Friendships Nobody Saw Coming](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Jango-and-Fullbody-Fighting-Together-Cropped.jpg)
For some fans, it must’ve been pretty jarring to see Jango and Fullbody working together at the tail end of Alabasta. If anything, it was weird to see an ex-pirate like Jango in the Marines mere months after his stint in Syrup Village.
As far as redemption stories go, there have been better, but it was still heartwarming and even hilarious to see the former hypnotist of the Black Cat Pirates dance his way into Fullbody’s heart. Jango managed to turn his life around after joining the Marines, and Fullbody became a relatively nicer guy. The two now continue their funky friendship as underlings on “Black Cage,” Hina’s ship.
Buggy And Mr. 3
![Buggy and Mr 3 Teaming Together](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Buggy-and-Mr-3-Teaming-Together-Cropped.jpg)
It makes sense on paper that two of the most cowardly yet conniving characters in the series would get along well; but until it was actually shown, no one was thinking that these two would ever work together. Buggy the Clown is the ambitious yet foolhardy leader of the Buggy Pirates whose confidence and tales of grandeur have allured those with open ears.
Mr. 3 is the tactical ex-bounty hunter of Baroque Works who could always hide behind his partner and wax walls if his schemes ever fell through. Separate, they’re just weirdos who can be easily defeated if people saw through their gimmicks. Working together, they get to become much stronger weirdos.
Luffy And Bartolomeo
![Bartolomeo Fawning Over Nico Robin](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Bartolomeo-Fawning-Over-Nico-Robin-Cropped.jpg)
When Bartolomeo first debuted during the Dressrosa Arc, he was practically being set up to be Luffy’s next rival. He was universally despised, incredibly mean and bratty, and a really vicious fighter. Just looking at him, nobody wanted him to get through Doflamingo’s tournament, making it all the more frustrating when he won his round.
People were just waiting for Luffy to put the guy in his place…until they found out he was as much of a Luffy fan as them. Despite still being a gross little scoundrel, Bartolomeo managed to claw his way into fans’ hearts. It didn’t take too long after that for him to somehow claw his way into the Straw Hat Pirates.
Luffy And Cavendish
![Robin and Cavendish Helping Law](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Robin-and-Cavendish-Helping-Law-Cropped.jpg)
While it was plenty surprising to see Bartolomeo be more ally than rival to Luffy, it was even more surprising to see Cavendish do the same. This guy literally came into the story expressing his direct hate for the Worst Generation, and he even tried to kill the rubberman as soon as he saw through Luffy’s Lucy disguise.
Despite this, circumstances would have him respect Luffy more and more. This includes the Straw Hats saving him from being one of Doflamingo’s toys, and Luffy showing his trust in Cavendish, trust that Cavendish mistakes as admiration. In one of the wildest instances of character progression in the series, Cavendish goes from being Luffy’s bitter rival to pledging his loyalty to him. Luffy truly is an inspiring leader.
Bentham And The Straw Hats
![Luffy Fighting Alongside Bentham](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Luffy-Fighting-Alongside-Bentham-Cropped.jpg)
Bentham, aka Mr. 2 Bon Clay, is currently a leading candidate to become a future Straw Hat. Though he is restrained in Impel Down, Bentham is a close friend of Luffy who played an integral part during the prison escape. During his debut, however, he seemed like anything but a friend.
As one of the top agents of Baroque Works and a shapeshifter, Bentham initially seemed like a guy that couldn’t be trusted. Despite immediately clicking with the Straw Hats, this assertion proved to be true as he used his Copy Copy Fruit to ambush Sanji. However, he has more than paid the Straw Hats back for his sins, and there’s no doubt that he and Luffy would be incredibly happy to see each other again.
Franky And The Straw Hats
![Franky smirking in One Piece](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Franky-From-One-Piece-Cropped.jpg)
When the Straw Hats were searching Water Seven for a new shipwright, there were plenty of candidates ahead of Franky. Paulie made a quick impression on people, Iceberg had plenty of prestige, and Lucci, despite being discovered as a government agent later on, talked only through a pigeon. All of these people had charming aspects that made them key candidates to become Straw Hat.
At the very least, they didn’t ambush Usopp and steal the Straw Hats’ money. It was an uphill battle to make Franky an ally of the Straw Hats, let alone an actual Straw Hat, but strange and demanding circumstances like the Enies Lobby Arc just have a special effect on relationships.
Zoro And Perona
![Zoro and Perona](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Zoro-and-Perona-Cropped.jpg)
Despite being a contemporary to Naruto, a franchise built on making friends with anyone, One Piece doesn’t often have main villains befriend the main characters. Perona in particular didn’t really scream out at fans as someone who would pop up later in the story.
However, she would play a pivotal role in taking care of Zoro after the events of Sabaody Archipelago, and the two would eventually develop a sibling-esque rapport after spending so much time together under Hawkeye Mihawk. Given that Perona knows what Zoro looks like in a teddy bear costume, one would assume that Zoro has to b nice to her.
Shanks And Mihawk
![Shanks laughing and Mihawk looking displeased](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Shanks-and-Mihawk-Drinking-Together-Cropped.jpg)
Shanks’ role in the series has changed dramatically every time he appears. He’s gone from being a simple hero to Luffy to being what many fans consider to be a pirate ambassador to the World Government. Everything about Shanks’ past and his time at the top of the pirate world have been enticing fans for a long time, and one of the first things that they want to see revealed is his history with Hawkeye Mihawk.
It was wild to find out that these two are friends and, better yet, long-time rivals. While Shanks can seemingly no longer compete with Mihawk, it’s nice to see that these two still see each other on friendly terms.
Kaido And Big Mom
![Kaido and Big Mom Drinking Together](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Kaido-and-Big-Mom-Drinking-Together-Cropped.jpg)
The Wano Arc is already filled with plenty of outrageous twists and shocking moments, but few have been as jarring, dissonant, or even game-changing as the moment Kaido and Big Mom shared some drinks together. It had already been revealed that the two used to travel together, evidently as part of the now-defunct Rocks Pirates, but not many were thinking that they’d actually team up.
These are two giant villains who should be clawing at each other’s throats for supremacy. Instead, they immediately form an alliance as if they’ve been waiting to work together again for a long time.
Luffy And Bellamy
![Luffy Punches Bellamy](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Luffy-Punches-Bellamy-Cropped.jpg)
As nice as Luffy is, he is the type of shonen character that doesn’t really try to understand people. As arrogant and grim as that can sound, Luffy doesn’t care about people’s pasts, just their immediate actions. This has made him incredibly open-minded and forgiving towards his own crew but all the more vicious when it comes to people that he hates. Bellamy was no different.
He was a generic, disposable villain who insulted Luffy’s dreams and hurt one of his friends. No one expected him to return after his initial run, and even fewer people expected the guy to befriend Luffy. In one of the greatest redemption stories in the series, Bellamy would not only become someone that Luffy would forgive, but even fight for after he discovered how Doflamingo had been using him.