Exploring Baroque Works: A Comprehensive Overview of One Piece’s Infamous Organization
Baroque Works, a criminal syndicate masterminded by the Warlord Crocodile, operated with the sinister aim of destabilizing and conquering the Arabasta Kingdom. The organization’s ultimate goal was to acquire the ancient superweapon Pluton, and to achieve this, they engaged in a prolonged campaign of espionage, sabotage, and murder, effectively manipulating Arabasta into a destructive civil war.
While Baroque Works predominantly enlisted common bounty hunters and mercenaries who believed in the façade of building an “ideal” nation, its core comprised highly skilled combatants and spies. Despite facing numerous setbacks, the syndicate’s grand plan, known as Operation Utopia, came dangerously close to success. Only the combined efforts of Princess Nefertari Vivi, the Straw Hat Pirates, and a Marine contingent led by then-Captain Smoker narrowly thwarted the operation.
Following the failure of Operation Utopia, the syndicate was exposed and systematically dismantled. Crocodile and most of his subordinates, many of whom were personally defeated by the Straw Hats, were apprehended by the Marines. However, in the years that followed, some of them managed to escape and continued to play roles in shaping world events.
Baroque Works served as the primary antagonists of the Arabasta Saga, with different members taking center stage in individual arcs, excluding the Drum Island Arc. Several former members also feature prominently in the Miss Goldenweek’s “Operation: Meet Baroque Works” cover arc, and later become supporting characters in the Impel Down Arc and Marineford Arc.
What Constitutes the Baroque Works Organization?
Baroque Works, a ruthless criminal syndicate founded and led by Sir Crocodile, is a coalition of outlaws, mercenaries, bounty hunters, and assorted individuals. Throughout its existence, the organization orchestrated a series of covert activities, including infiltration, assassinations, and abductions, all under the guise of building an ideal nation in the expansive world of One Piece.
The syndicate’s central and audacious endeavor, codenamed “Operation Utopia,” involved Crocodile posing as a savior of Arabasta, ostensibly rescuing the kingdom from pirates. However, behind the scenes, Baroque Works fueled a deliberate civil war by falsely accusing the Nefertari family of orchestrating the chaos.
The ultimate objective of Operation Utopia was to overthrow the current rulers of the Arabasta Kingdom—the Nefertari family—and install Crocodile as the new leader. Additionally, Crocodile sought to seize the ancient superweapon, Pluton, aspiring to wield unprecedented power that could rival even the World Government.
In pursuit of these ambitions, Baroque Works navigated a complex web of deception and manipulation, leaving a lasting impact on the political landscape of the One Piece universe.
System of Ranking for Baroque Works
Baroque Works boasted an extensive roster of around 2,000 members, each fitting into a meticulously structured ranking system inherent to the organization, as detailed by Vivi in manga chapter 155. The hierarchical order is outlined below in descending order:
- President and Vice President: At the pinnacle of authority stood Crocodile (Mr. 0), the founder and president of Baroque Works. Alongside him, Nico Robin (Miss All Sunday), a new member of the Straw Hat Pirates, served as the vice president. Together, they wielded paramount control over the organization.
- Officer Agents: Following the leadership, Officer Agents occupied the next tier in command. This elite group included teams from Mr. 1 to Mr. 5, distinguished by their formidable strength and mastery of devil fruit powers.
- Frontier Agents: The tier below Officer Agents comprised the Frontier Agents, encompassing teams from Mr. 6 to Mr. 12. While slightly less prominent than their counterparts, these agents played crucial roles in tasks such as leading subordinates and overseeing fund collection, particularly at the entrance of the Grand Line.
- Punishers (Unluckies): Mr. 13’s team, known as the Punishers, specialized in communication and execution/punishment responsibilities within the organization.
- Billions: This category included 200 subordinates directly operating under the Officer Agents, undertaking various duties crucial to Baroque Works’ objectives.
- Millions: Similar to the Billions, the Millions constituted 1,800 members working directly under the Frontier Agents. Both Millions and Billions were considered disposable agents serving specific roles within the overarching structure of Baroque Works.
Baroque Works in One Piece Trivia:
Oda humorously suggested that Baroque Works sends its members separately on holiday to winter festivals in Hokkaido, ensuring they never meet due to the organization’s strict policies.
Miss Goldenweek’s Colors Trap revealed dreams that posed challenges for Baroque Works members. Notable instances include Mr. 1’s superhero dream aligning with his Supa Supa no Mi powers, and Mr. 4’s aspiration to be a pizza boy hindered by his sluggishness.
Miss Doublefinger’s dream of remaining as Paula the cafe owner became a reality when Baroque Works members, who escaped, established a new Spiders Cafe from the Cactus Saloon.
Miss Valentine’s dream to be a girl creating chocolate confections, linked to her name “Valentine,” held irony due to her lemon theme and the potential association of chocolates with obesity.
Baroque Works members were placed in Impel Down levels more severe than their assigned bounties, such as Mr. 2 Bon Kurei in Level 3 despite a lower bounty and Crocodile in Level 6 despite a lower bounty, frozen for some time.
Baroque Works bears striking parallels to the James Bond franchise’s SPECTRE, including codenamed operatives, the use of exotic animals, orchestration of wars, and pursuit of superweapons under the guise of a “legitimate” business.
In Movie 2, a Baroque Works ship with a slightly different jolly roger is seen behind the Going Merry during its capture.
All male Baroque Works members, except Crocodile, display their assigned numbers somewhere on their bodies.
Baroque Works shares numerous similarities with the Donquixote Pirates, including crew composition, abilities, former princess members plotting against the organization, members becoming allies with Luffy, and both crews aiming to conquer a kingdom (Arabasta and Dressrosa) by overthrowing the current king.
Both Baroque Works and the Donquixote Pirates met their defeat at the hands of the Straw Hat Pirates and their allies.
Baroque Works in One Piece Ships
Baroque Works employed a diverse fleet of ships for transporting its personnel, with a notable emphasis on personalized vessels, especially for the Officer Agents. Here are some of the prominent ships associated with key members:
1. Baroque Gustave:
- Owner: Crocodile
- Description: Belonging to Crocodile, the Baroque Gustave’s name draws inspiration from Gustave, a notorious man-eating Nile crocodile from Burundi, known for its alarming history of human fatalities.
2. Kill Sassoon:
- Users: Mr. 1 and Miss Doublefinger
- Description: The Kill Sassoon, utilized by Mr. 1 and Miss Doublefinger, features a name that appears to be a combination of “kill” and “assassin,” reflecting the duo’s expertise as professional killers.
3. Swanda Express:
- Owner: Mr. 2
- Description: Mr. 2’s personalized ship, the Swanda Express, is themed after a swan. Noteworthy features include pink sails, hand-operated paddle wheels, and a swan figurehead.
4. Chiryaku Ten’nen Maru:
- Users: Mr. 3 and Miss Goldenweek
- Description: The Chiryaku Ten’nen Maru, utilized by Mr. 3 and Miss Goldenweek, is largely personalized after Mr. 3 himself. Adorned with blue and white striped sails and a number 3 figurehead, it showcases the influence of the Doru Doru no Mi powers.
5. Holly Home Run:
- Users: Mr. 4 and Miss Merry Christmas
- Description: The Holly Home Run, associated with Mr. 4 and Miss Merry Christmas, combines themes of baseball’s home run with the Christmas-associated holly plant.
6. Pop Rock Candy:
- Users: Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine
- Description: The Pop Rock Candy, employed by Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine, references the famous candy brand known for its carbon dioxide gas-bubbles, creating a playful nod to “explosions.”
7. Full:
- Description: The Full, a large purple and yellow ship, utilized Dance Powder to simulate artificial rain. Featuring a crocodile figurehead and a distinctive smokestack with the Baroque Works jolly roger, it stands out in the fleet.
8. Other:
- Description: The Billions utilized multiple ships with varying designs, all bearing the Baroque Works name and/or jolly roger in their sails.
It’s worth noting that in the ending of Movie 2, Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine were observed using a relatively small boat with a white sail and no Baroque Works insignia. The specific use of this boat for travel to Whisky Peak or Little Garden remains unknown.
Baroque Works in One Piece Strength
Baroque Works emerged as a formidable adversary for the Straw Hat Pirates within the realm of Paradise, marking one of the most substantial threats they encountered—second only to the challenges presented by the forces of Enies Lobby. Despite facing eventual defeat, the organization showcased exceptional organizational prowess, orchestrating a large-scale civil war in one of the Twenty Kingdoms. Their audacious goal of unearthing Pluton, an elusive superweapon, added a layer of complexity that even the World Government’s most ambitious intelligence agencies had struggled to fathom, limiting their pursuit to mere diagrams.
Even the syndicate’s common foot soldiers exhibited a high level of cunning and training, though they proved less formidable in direct combat against the Straw Hats. The Officer Agents, a tier above, demonstrated significantly greater strength, boasting eight Devil Fruit users. Notable among them were Mr. 1 and Mr. 2 Bon Kurei, who posed formidable challenges to Roronoa Zoro and Sanji in individual combat encounters.
As the field commander, Miss All-Sunday wielded a deadly prowess, empowered by a unique Devil Fruit ability that enabled spying, incapacitation, and assassination from great distances. Furthermore, her rare skill in reading Poneglyphs set the syndicate apart, providing unprecedented access to Pluton and other ancient superweapons.
At the pinnacle of Baroque Works stood Crocodile, a figure among the esteemed Seven Warlords of the Sea. Possessing absolute mastery over one of the world’s most potent Devil Fruits and seasoned by experience as a veteran of the New World, Crocodile achieved a notable distinction. He not only secured the first-ever defeat of Monkey D. Luffy in single combat but accomplished this feat in multiple battles a remarkable accomplishment shared only by Kaidou of the Four Emperors.
Baroque Works in One Piece Members’ Relationships
- Mr. 0: Overpowered by Monkey D. Luffy and subsequently apprehended by Smoker, incarcerated in Impel Down, but later managed to escape.
- Miss All Sunday: Aligned with the Straw Hat Pirates.
- Banchi: Status remains unknown.
- Mr. 1: Defeated by Roronoa Zoro, imprisoned in Impel Down by Smoker, later escaped, and continued allegiance to Crocodile.
- Miss Doublefinger: Vanquished by Nami and arrested by Hina; however, she escaped custody and resumed her role as the proprietor of the New Spiders Cafe.
- Mr. 2 Bon Kurei: Conquered by Sanji and imprisoned in Impel Down by Hina. Subsequently, sacrificed himself to aid Luffy’s escape and later emerged as the ruler of Newkama Land at Level 5.5, succeeding Emporio Ivankov.
- Mr. 3: Overcome by Monkey D. Luffy, incarcerated in Impel Down by Hina, escaped, and joined the Buggy Pirates. Later became an officer in Buggy’s Delivery.
- Miss Goldenweek: Defeated by Karoo, subsequently rescued her comrades from imprisonment, and later became an employee of New Spiders Cafe.
- Mr. 4: Overpowered by Usopp and Tony Tony Chopper, arrested by Hina, escaped, and became an employee of New Spiders Cafe.
- Miss Merry Christmas: Subdued by Usopp and Tony Tony Chopper, arrested by Hina, escaped, and joined New Spiders Cafe.
- Lassoo: Defeated by Usopp and Tony Tony Chopper, arrested by Hina, escaped, and became the mascot of New Spiders Cafe.
- Mr. 5: Defeated by Roronoa Zoro, later rescued his fellow agents, and subsequently became an employee of New Spiders Cafe.
- Miss Valentine: Overcome by Nami and Nefertari Vivi, later rescued her comrades, and subsequently became an employee of New Spiders Cafe.
- Mr. 6: Current status unknown.
- Miss Mother’s Day: Current status unknown.
- Mr. 7 (first): Deceased, killed by Roronoa Zoro years ago.
- Mr. 7 (second): Defeated by Nefertari Vivi, current fate uncertain.
- Miss Father’s Day: Defeated by Nefertari Vivi, current fate uncertain.
- Mr. 8: Resumed the role of Captain of the Arabasta Royal Guard.
- Miss Monday: Married Mr. 9 and presently resides in Whisky Peak.
- Mr. 9: Married Miss Monday and currently resides in Whisky Peak.
- Miss Wednesday: Reverted to her position as the Princess of the Arabasta Kingdom.
- Karoo: Returned to leading the Super Spot-Billed Duck Troops.
- Mr. 10: Current whereabouts unknown.
- Miss Tuesday: Current whereabouts unknown.
- Mr. 11: Apprehended by Smoker, later killed by Billions Mr. Mellow.
- Miss Thursday: Evaded capture by Smoker; current fate unknown.
- Mr. 12: Present status unknown.
- Miss Saturday: Current status unknown.
- Mr. 13: Defeated by Sanji, subsequently captured by the Marines to illustrate drawings of the Baroque Works agents not apprehended in Arabasta.
- Miss Friday: Overpowered by Sanji, later captured by the Marines to create illustrations of the Baroque Works agents not captured in Arabasta.
Billions:
- Akumai: Arrested by Hina; current fate uncertain.
- Mr. Mellow: Defeated by Portgas D. Ace; current fate uncertain.
- Mr. Love: Overcome and arrested by Tashigi.
- Geronimo: Defeated by Monkey D. Luffy; current fate uncertain.
Millions:
- Mr. Shimizu: Defeated by Roronoa Zoro; current fate uncertain.
- Miss Catherina: Overpowered by Roronoa Zoro; current fate uncertain.
- Mr. Beans: Overcome by Roronoa Zoro; current fate uncertain.
- Hercules: Defeated by Roronoa Zoro; current fate uncertain.
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