The most explicit romantic thread involves Orochi Chiyono (often called Chiyo), a quiet, strategic blader from the Snake Clan (descendant of Reiji Mizuchi). Their relationship is characterized by:

The most shocking twist in the romantic history of King Wapol comes after the timeskip, revealed in the cover stories of the One Piece manga. In the "Wapol’s Cover Serial," we witness the former tyrant falling upward. He arrives at the poverty-stricken Karate Kingdom, where the local monarch, King Aman, has died.

Here, Oda subverts every expectation. Wapol does not conquer the kingdom; he saves it. He uses his Wapometal to create affordable, high-quality toys for the poor children and builds a factory that revitalizes the economy. The princess of the Karate Kingdom, a kind and gentle woman named Princess Poppy (unnamed in the main text but referred to in databooks), sees Wapol not as a gluttonous invader, but as a brilliant, misunderstood inventor.

The Real Romantic Storyline:

This is where the "King Wapol relationships" keyword finally pays off. The romance between Wapol and Princess Poppy is profoundly strange because it is functional. She is not a gold digger like Miss Universe; she is a therapeutic presence. She doesn't try to change Wapol; she channels his gluttony into industry.

This relationship culminates in the most unbelievable line in One Piece history: Wapol becomes a beloved king and a happily married man. The former villain is last seen attending the Levely (Reverie) as King Wapol of the Evil Black Drum Kingdom, with his queen (Princess Poppy) and a new child.

The final, brilliant turn in this romantic storyline occurs during the Reverie Arc (Chapters 903-908, Anime episodes 877-891).

Wapol arrives at the holy land of Mary Geoise as the king of Black Drum. He is there to represent his country. However, his wife, Komane, is not with him. Why? Because she is pregnant.

For a man who once saw people as food, Wapol is now terrified of childbirth. He panics. He runs through the corridors of power, knocking over nobles, desperate to find a doctor. In his panic, he stumbles upon the covert meeting of Princess Vivi, Sabo, and the Revolutionaries. He accidentally witnesses the attempted assassination of the Celestial Dragons and the revelation of the Empty Throne.

The Romantic Motivation as a Narrative Driver

Here is the genius twist: Wapol’s entire role in the endgame of One Piece is motivated by love.

He does not betray the World Government because he is good. He betrays them because he is scared for his wife and unborn child. He flees Mary Geoise, picks up Vivi (who gives him emotional support), and races back to Komane. His love for his queen makes him a wild card in the global conspiracy.

He is no longer just the Munch-Munch King. He is the Panicked Father-to-Be. This humanizes him more than any battle with Luffy ever could.

King Wap’s introduction to the romantic narrative came early, anchored by his relationship with [Partner Name/Archetype]. This wasn't a fairy tale; it was a collision. Viewers were immediately drawn to the volatility of the pairing. They were the couple that fought as hard as they loved, screaming matches in the confessional booth often transitioning into tender moments by the pool.

This initial relationship established Wap’s romantic archetype: the possessive protector. His storylines often revolved around a desperate need to control the narrative of his relationships, usually stemming from a deep-seated fear of betrayal. When this relationship inevitably fractured—often due to Wap’s own inability to separate game mechanics from real feelings—it set the stage for his descent into the "villain" role.

To understand Wapol’s romantic future, we must first understand his romantic past—or lack thereof. As the ruler of the Drum Kingdom, Wapol exhibited zero charisma of the heart. His relationship with his subjects was parasitic, not paternal. He surrounded himself with two cronies (Chess and Kuromarimo) who functioned more as sycophantic extensions of his ego than genuine friends.

The Subversion of the Royal Romance Trope

In typical fantasy narratives, a king’s romantic life is central to the kingdom’s stability. Wapol, however, had no queen. His "love" was directed entirely toward consumption: eating rare foods, hoarding toys, and destroying the cultural identity of Drum Island. His relationship with Dr. Hiriluk and Dalton was one of pure antagonism. He viewed Kureha not as a wise elder but as a threat. There is no romantic subplot for him here because Wapol, at this stage, is emotionally a toddler. Toddlers do not have lovers; they have possessions.

This void is critical. Wapol leaves Drum Island as a man who has never experienced genuine affection. He is thrown out of his own castle, forced to sail the seas in a makeshift ship (the Munch-Munch Factory), a literal garbage barge. He hits rock bottom not with a bang, but with a whimper—and a mouthful of scrap metal.

In Shogun Steel, Wap’s arc follows a clear trajectory:

This makes Wap one of the few Beyblade characters whose primary motivation shifts from ambition to love — a rarity in battle-centric children’s anime.