Chapters · Alabasta › Drum Island → Alabasta

Chapter 155: Sir Crocodile, the Pirate

Arc: Drum Island → Alabasta · Saga: Alabasta · Released: —

Summary

Sir Crocodile, debut on-page. The cover-arc splash for Django’s Dance Heaven, Vol. 23 opens the chapter; the main story cuts to Nanohana, Sandy Island, Kingdom of Alabasta — a desert port-town being plundered by an unknown pirate band. Citizens cheer the arrival of Sir Crocodile, the King of the Desert, the Guardian Deity of Alabasta. Crocodile arrives in a black fur-trimmed coat with a giant golden hook in place of his left hand and a long stitched scar across his face. He single-handedly bisects the entire pirate raid (sword-blow segments rendered with CHUNK CHUNK CHUNK and a panel of the captain’s halved body collapsing) — Now there’s only six Warlords of the Sea. He shrugs off the citizens’ adulation (Swine. I’m a different breed of pirate…) and walks back through Nanohana to a roaring crowd. Cut to Alubarna Palace: King Nefertari Cobra receives the news — He beat us to it again? …At least the citizens are safe. We are… indebted to him. Crocodile’s Guardian Deity cover is operationally intact at the king-of-the-realm level. Back on the Going Merry: Sanji and Luffy fight over the missing food, Vivi delivers the chapter’s load-bearing exposition — Sir Crocodile is a hero in Alabasta!? …The Seven Warlords are pirates in the pay of the World Government… The citizens really don’t care… No one even suspects… that his real goal is to take over Alabasta. She lays out the full Baroque Works organizational chart (the chapter’s centerpiece, p. 17): Mr. 0 (Crocodile) at the top, Vice-President / Supreme Commander Ms. All Sunday at his side; Officer Agents Mr. 1-5 + their day-of-week partners; Frontier Agents Mr. 6-12 + partners; Mr. 13 / Ms. Friday = the Unluckies running executions and communications; below them, 200 Billions (Officer Agents’ underlings) and 1,800 Millions (Frontier Agents’ underlings). All officers have codenames; most have Devil Fruit powers; the officer-agent-elite-below-5 doctrine pre-told Ch. 117 is now fully canon. The chapter closes (p. 19) on a DOOM!!! silhouette splash of all the Officer Agents converging — Yes… Officer-Agents will… be coming together. (TO BE CONTINUED IN VOL. 18)

New reveals

• Crocodile’s visual debut: dark slicked-back hair, long facial scar from temple to jaw, broad-chested, gold hook prosthesis for left hand, black fur-collared coat. Caption-card on p. 6: SIR CROCODILE — ONE OF THE SEVEN WARLORDS OF THE SEA (FORMER BOUNTY: 81 MILLION BERRIES) — corrects the 80 million figure given by Vivi in Ch. 0113 by one million (or canonizes 81M as the actual figure; flag as cite-conflict).
• Crocodile combat-feat: single-strike bisection of an entire pirate crew (12+ men, captain included, CHUNK CHUNK CHUNK CHUNK) on p. 8 — the actual cutting motion is off-panel; only the after-image (a single eye, segmented bodies collapsing) is shown. NOW THERE’S ONLY SIX WARLORDS OF THE SEA! — pre-loads the Warlord-tier kills Warlord-aspirant on sight arc-grammar.
• Crocodile’s I’m a different breed of pirate… swine doctrine (p. 9) — first on-page Crocodile self-conception: he holds ordinary pirates in tier-contempt; reads as Warlord-supremacist register. Pairs with his plunder Alabasta at will, eh? (p. 6) — Alabasta is his territory.
• Sandy Island canonized as the on-page name of Alabasta’s geographic body (p. 2 caption box: SANDY ISLAND (ALABASTA)). First on-page Alabasta-as-island-with-a-name.
• Nanohana canonized as Alabasta’s port-town and Crocodile’s Guardian Deity stage (p. 2 caption box: THE PORT TOWN OF NANOHANA). The town is visualized on-page for the first time — tall minaret-style towers, palm trees, white-stone domes, banners, an arched waterfront.
• Alubarna canonized as the capital city of Alabasta (p. 11 caption box: ALUBARNA PALACE — KINGDOM OF ALABASTA). The palace exterior: tall onion-dome towers, white stone, repeating arches. King Cobra is shown in his throne hall.
• Cobra–Crocodile public-relationship reveal (p. 11): Cobra We are… indebted to him. Two-faced situational irony: the king himself credits Crocodile with saving Alabasta from pirate raids while the Strawhats know Crocodile is the architect of the country’s collapse. Pre-loads the Cobra-vs-Crocodile arc-axis.
• Full Baroque Works organizational chart (p. 17): the chapter’s structural centerpiece. First on-page reveal of:
  • Officer Agents (Mr. 1-5 + partners): Mr. 1 / Ms. Doublefinger · Mr. 2 (Bon Clay; no female partner — he doesn’t want one) · Mr. 3 / Ms. Golden Week · Mr. 4 / Ms. Merry Christmas · Mr. 5 / Ms. Valentine
  • Frontier Agents (Mr. 6-12 + partners): Mr. 6 / Ms. Mother’s Day · Mr. 7 / Ms. Father’s Day · Mr. 8 / Ms. Monday · Mr. 9 / Ms. Wednesday · Mr. 10 / Ms. Tuesday · Mr. 11 / Ms. Thursday · Mr. 12 / Ms. Saturday
  • Unluckies: Mr. 13 / Ms. Friday — in charge of executions, communications
  • Below Officer Agents: 200 Billions (Officer-Agent underlings)
  • Below Frontier Agents: 1,800 Millions (Frontier-Agent underlings)
• Officer-Agent-Devil-Fruit doctrine canonized (p. 17, side caption: Most of them have Devil Fruit powers) — the officer-agent-elite-below-5 pre-tell from Ch. 117 is now confirmed as a power-tier register.
• Officer Agents are being summoned to one location — final-page splash (p. 19) reveals the assembled silhouettes of all Officer Agents around Crocodile (Mr. 1’s narrow-eyed face, Mr. 2’s heart-cheeked ballet pose, Mr. 4’s broad-shouldered bulk, Ms. Doublefinger’s tall slim figure, Ms. Merry Christmas’s heavyset figure, etc.). …Officer-Agents will… be coming together. The Alabasta endgame summit-of-villains is convening.
• Mr. 2 Bon Clay — first face shown (roster panel headshot + final-splash silhouette). Confirms the Mr. 2 dispatch to Little Garden order from Ch. 0127 and gives the Ch. 0128 Bon Clay off-page name a face. No female partner — he doesn’t want one — Baroque Works pair-grammar break canonized.
• Mr. 1 / Ms. Doublefinger / Mr. 4 / Ms. Merry Christmas / Mr. 6-12 / Ms. Mother’s Day / Ms. Father’s Day — all first on-page faces (in roster headshots).
• Vivi names the Unluckies role explicitly (p. 16): Mr. 13 and Ms. Friday are special. They execute any agents who fail. — the punishment-squad doctrine pre-told Ch. 105 is now operationally articulated.

Foreshadowing seeds planted

Payoffs (seeds from earlier chapters that resolve here)

Notable panels

• p. 1 — Cover splash: Django’s Dance Heaven, Vol. 23: SO LONG, YOU STUPID NAVY GUYS!! Django dancing in a port town, PRO DANCE sign, Marine badge in upper-left circle.
• p. 2 — Establishing splash of Alabasta: SANDY ISLAND (ALABASTA) / THE PORT TOWN OF NANOHANA. The capital arrives on-page for the first time — palm-fringed harbor, minarets, white domes, a docked ship.
• p. 4 — Wide overhead splash: a black-cloaked figure (Crocodile, back to camera) at the center of a town-square hurricane of fleeing pirates. THE GUARDIAN DEITY OF ALABASTA!!! CROCODILE!!!
• p. 5 — Sky-blacked-out splash: massive HOOK / DOO! lettering frames Crocodile’s silhouette wading through scattering crowd. THE KING OF THE DESERT!!! SIR CROCODILE!!!
• p. 6 — Crocodile’s face debut. Bust-tier panel: long facial scar from temple to jaw, slicked-back dark hair, big-pupil-narrow-eye gaze; massive golden left hook held up; black fur-collared coat over scarred bare chest. Caption-box: SIR CROCODILE — ONE OF THE SEVEN WARLORDS OF THE SEA (FORMER BOUNTY: 81 MILLION BERRIES). Oh well, call me what you will. Ha ha ha… But anyway… You pirates think you can plunder Alabasta at will, eh?
• p. 7 — Pirate captain charges with a sword: You’re no hero!!! You’re just a government dog who sold his sword and his soul!!! / Don’t take us lightly!!! You think you can handle all of us by yourself!!? / Crocodile: Those of you who wish to live, take cover.
• p. 8 — The cut. A black silhouette of Crocodile against the surge of attacking pirates; CHUNK CHUNK CHUNK CHUNK sound effect; halved pirate captain collapsing; single eye-panel close-up of Crocodile. Now there’s only six Warlords of the Sea! / GAR HAR HAR HAR HAR!!!
• p. 9 — Splash composition: Crocodile in black silhouette atop the carnage, golden hook raised, town spires behind; pirate captain face-down at his feet. …Swine. I’m a different breed of pirate…
• p. 10 — Crocodile walks back through Nanohana in long black cloak; the bodies hang from his back as offering / tribute; citizens cry RAAAAAH CROCODILE!!! CROCODILE!!! (the Guardian Deity applause-reception).
• p. 11 — Alubarna Palace establishing splash: white-stone palace with onion-dome towers. King Cobra in the throne hall — first on-page Cobra-as-reigning-monarch (vs. flashback Ch. 142). Caption-box: NEFELTARI COBRA — KING OF ALABASTA.
• pp. 12-15 — Going Merry B-plot: Luffy and Sanji fight over missing food (Luffy ate it all); Vivi delivers the load-bearing exposition about Crocodile, the Warlords, and the deception of Alabasta’s citizens. Visual: Sanji in shocked-face panel, Vivi calmly leaning against a railing in the Egyptian-coded wardrobe (cropped-top + scarf + dancer-pant ensemble).
• p. 16 — Vivi reveal-monologue continues: Sir Crocodile, alias Mr. Zero, is at the top. …Each man is paired with an equally lethal woman. … Mr. 13 and Ms. Friday are special. They execute any agents who fail.
• p. 17 — The Baroque Works organizational chart splash. Full-page diagram: header BAROQUE WORKS with skull-and-wings logo; complete pair-stack from President to Unluckies; headcount totals (200 Billions, 1,800 Millions); side captions explaining tier doctrine.
• p. 18 — Going Merry deck: Luffy and Zoro fail to follow the lecture (Zoro: Just what kind of outfit is this Baroque Works? I mean, what’s with all those numbers?). Vivi: You didn’t follow any of that, did you?
• p. 19 — Final splash: silhouetted Officer Agents converging in black-cloaked formation around Crocodile. Yes… Officer-Agents will… be coming together. TO BE CONTINUED IN VOL. 18!!

Mentions / appearances

• Characters on-page: Crocodile, Nefertari Cobra, Vivi, Luffy, Sanji, Usopp, Zoro, Nami, Tony Tony Chopper (background), Karoo (Nami sleeping on him), Django (cover)
• Characters in roster art only: Mr. 3, Miss Goldenweek, Mr. 5, Miss Valentine, Mr. 9, Mr 13, Ms Friday, Nico Robin (as Ms. All Sunday, listed Vice President-Commander)
• First face-shown / first roster appearance (newly introduced this chapter): Mr. 1, Ms. Doublefinger, Mr. 2 (Bon Clay), Mr. 4, Ms. Merry Christmas, Mr. 6 / Ms. Mother’s Day, Mr. 7 / Ms. Father’s Day, Mr. 8 / Ms. Monday (face-only; the Mr. 8 = Igaram binding is canon since Ch. 107), Mr. 10 / Ms. Tuesday, Mr. 11 / Ms. Thursday, Mr. 12 / Ms. Saturday
• Locations: Alabasta (now visited on-page!), Nanohana (NEW — port town), Alubarna (NEW — capital + palace), Sandy Island (alias of Alabasta-as-island)
• Crews: Baroque Works (full org-chart reveal), Straw Hat Pirates
• Concepts: Seven Warlords of the Sea (Crocodile-tier on-page combat-feat); Officer-Agent / Frontier-Agent / Billions / Millions four-tier organizational hierarchy

Open questions raised

• Who was the pirate captain Crocodile killed in Nanohana? Now there’s only six Warlords of the Sea implies he was Warlord-class or aspiring — but no name is given on-page.
• Was the 81 million berry former-bounty figure on p. 6 a correction of Vivi’s Ch. 0113 80 million citation, or is there a one-million-berry discrepancy worth tracking?
• What is Mr. 2 Bon Clay’s power, and why does he refuse a female partner? (The roster line No female partner — he doesn’t want one is a doctrinal tell.)
• The Officer-Agent silhouettes on p. 19 include a heavyset cigar-smoking figure (Mr. 4?) and a figure on what looks like a large mount — what is the beast Vivi mentioned (12 people and a beast)?
• Cobra’s He beat us to it again? implies a pattern — Crocodile has been protecting Alabasta from pirate raids for some time. How long has the Guardian Deity cover been operational? (Pre-loads the Cobra-Crocodile timeline question.)