Sir Crocodile, one of One Piece’s first big villains, is also the second Warlord of the Sea to debut in the series. A long-running character in the series, Crocodile is one of the most layered, interesting characters in One Piece that blurs the line between villain and anti-hero. From his early defeats on the Grand Line to his new time with Cross-Guild, Sir Crocodile is one of the strongest pirates in One Piece for many reasons.
Fair warning, this article contains spoilers for the One Piece manga to the current Egghead Island arc, chapter 1089 as of this writing. The manga is available to read on Viz and MangaPlus in the United States. Now, proceed with caution!
Who is Sir Crocodile?
Sir Crocodile, most commonly referred to as Croc, is a former Warlord of the Sea in One Piece. He’s cunning, charismatic, and incredibly intelligent, which leads to a deadly combination thanks to his likewise-massive strength. An excellent tactician, Crocodile takes delight in indirectly killing his enemies through means like poison or sand burial. This, unfortunately, leads to hubris on his part and leads to his defeat later at the hands of Straw Hat Luffy.
Post-Timeskip, Crocodile is a much more relaxed guy than the uptight and serious Warlord of before. He makes a major change after Luffy humbles him in Alabasta, and is now a more friendly, joking type that goes with his own flow as opposed to those around him. Hell, he chooses to stay in prison while all the other Baroque Works members break out. That’s finding true inner peace.
Early Defeat
Sure Crocodile was humbled by Luffy during Alabasta, but it was a couple of decades before that when he really had his ass beat. A rookie on the Grand Line with a point to prove, Crocodile went all in right from the start and launched an attack on Whitebeard. Not old man Whitebeard either, but in his prime, going toe-to-toe with Gold Roger, flowing blonde locks Whitebeard. Things didn’t go well for Crocodile, who ran away back to the Grand Line to treat his wounds.
This is where Crocodile lost his idealism of being a pirate, instead choosing to focus on basic criminal organizations over the next decades. Around the same time, with a high bounty from the multiple sprees of crime and piracy he already has to his name, Crocodile gets an offer. The World Government has a vacancy in the Warlords of the Sea, and Crocodile is the one they want.
Why Did Crocodile Become a Warlord?
For Crocodile, nothing else made nearly as much sense as taking the Warlord position. He had no desire to take another stab at the New World, but working as Warlord would give him free rein over the Grand Line’s first half. Better yet, he would do it as a government-sanctioned pirate, which means he can see to his own goals in the meantime. Crocodile jumps at the opportunity, and this is where he starts Baroque Works.
Baroque Works Mr. 0
Crocodile founds Baroque works on the idea of total secrecy. Nobody goes by their real name, everyone is deep undercover with code names or fake identities. Males get a number for their name, and females get a day, with a few holidays thrown in to keep things going. Baroque Works is the first shadowy organization the Straw Hats run into on the Grand Line, and leads to their first big mission.
The organization also hosts many allies that Luffy will come to depend on over the story. Nico Robin, the former Ms. All-Sunday, is an essential Straw Hat Pirate, while Mr. 2 and Mr. 3 pop back up in Impel Down. Without them, it’s doubtful Luffy’s team would have escaped, though it cost Bon Clay staying behind. Crocodile didn’t seem to have much care for his former henchmen though, and is outright hostile toward Galdino.
Sir Crocodile Devil Fruit Powers
Sir Crocodile uses the Sand-Sand Fruit along with his deadly hook for a combo of powers and strength. The former Warlord’s control over sand especially made him a threat in the desert kingdom of Alabasta, requiring some tactical thinking on Luffy’s part to win. Even then, the Straw Hats arguably only took the win there because Crocodile was overzealous, leaving Luffy to suffer instead of killing him.
Crocodile frequently uses poison on his hook to seal his enemy’s fate. His Sand-Sand Fruit also has another benefit to them, which allows Crocodile to drain the moisture from anything. It’s dangerous, and can easily dehydrate a person in moments leading to death. His powers get an added boost in Alabasta thanks to the vast deserts, and can easily stir up sandstorms.
Operation Utopia
Crocodile’s plan for Alabasta is something he’s been working toward since initially starting Baroque Works. A utopia with himself as king. He never elaborates on what the utopia will include, but he also wanted the Poneglyph the Nefertari family possesses. Crocodile’s first plan was to acquire the Ancient Weapon Pluton, though he doesn’t find it there. After suffering defeat at the hands of Luffy, he seems to put that idea on the back burner.
Crocodile in Prison
Prison is like vacation for Crocodile. He’s at peace, relaxed, just sitting in his cell happy as can be. When the other Baroque Works members come in for a jailbreak he even refuses, choosing to stay in prison along with Daz Bones, former Mr. 1. The two transfer to Impel Down not long after that, with Daz Bones locked into the Frozen Hell while Crocodile is on the lower level alongside Jimbei, who he especially hates.
Most notably, when Luffy ends up there with Ivankov and the other prisoners, Crocodile ends up going with them. Though it is strange that Iva mentions a mysterious past with Crocodile, holding it over his head as blackmail. That’s still a mystery as to what said blackmail is though.
Why Does Crocodile Go To Marineford?
Though Jimbei warns Crocodile against it, the former Warlords make a tentative alliance to help Luffy get to Marineford. Croc has other motives though, and wants revenge on the old Emperor who ran him from the New World decades ago. Almost immediately upon their arrival, he makes his move to attack Whitebeard, but is stopped by Luffy. The Straw Hat Captain reminds him why they’re at the battle, and Crocodile actually listens to him.
He turns into an MVP of Marineford too, as he saves Luffy multiple times along with Ace and even Jimbei. Crocodile goes head to head with Hawkeye Mihawk to distract him while Luffy runs to Ace. More impressive he confronts Akainu to stop him from attacking Jimbei who’s carrying Luffy, despite his disdain for the other former Warlord.
Buggy’s Delivery Service Investor
At some point after Marineford Crocodile goes into hiding and lays low for a bit. He’s enjoying his free time, content to watch from the shadows as the Grand Line adjusts to the new status quo. Crocodile keeps up with Luffy’s exploits though, and is one of the viewers during Caesar Clown’s weapon demonstration on Punk Hazard.
Most important during the time skip, when Buggy the Clown receives his offer to become a Warlord, Crocodile bankrolls him. He lends money to the clown to kickstart Buggy’s Delivery Service, and he plans on collecting that money one way or another now that things are getting interesting.
Cross-Guild
When he tracks down Buggy to demand his money back, it’s just one of the luckier moments in Buggy’s incredibly lucky life. Just as the Navy is bearing down on him, Crocodile swoops in and destroys the enemy ships, rescuing the clown. Too bad Buggy doesn’t have the money to pay Crocodile back now though, since the Seven Warlords are no more and he’s broke. Telling Crocodile he can’t get his money back is a quick way to meet death in the Grand Line. Thankfully they work toward a more amicable solution with the assistance of Hawkeye Mihawk.
Hawkeye is one of the only Warlords Croc has much respect for, and the two decided to utilize Buggy’s ships and soldiers for Cross-Guild. They make sure to beat the hell out of Buggy first, but when his devoted followers put Buggy at the top of their poster, it becomes a problem. They beat him again, Crocodile and Mihawk both promising him death, before he inexplicably announces they’re going after the One Piece.
What’s Next for Crocodile?
It appears that Crocodile is going after the One Piece along with Cross-Guild, especially since Buggy is the one taking the brunt for it. Still, he and Mihawk will get that interesting time they were looking for, so they probably won’t get bored anytime soon. The only thing that remains to be seen is where his allegiance will lie in the long run, whether it be to Luffy, someone else, or just himself.
Crocodile, one of One Piece’s first great overarching villains, is still a huge part of the ongoing story. His persistence and cunning may throw a few curveballs in the final saga, but it’s likely Cross-Guild will play a decently sized part in the battles to come. Sir Crocodile, the former Warlord of the Sea, is just a still-moving gear in the chaos the Grand Line has become.
