Crocodile

Biodata

Background / History

Baroque Works and the Alabasta Plot

Crocodile established Baroque Works to gather intelligence and raise money for his pursuit of Pluton, an ancient weapon said to be capable of destroying an island with one shot. Although the organization presented itself as a bounty-hunting business, it was a criminal syndicate based in Alabasta. Its members were expendable assets rather than the crew Crocodile intended to take into the New World 21 29.

After learning that Alabasta concealed information about Pluton, Crocodile spent years attempting to locate it. He drove away invading pirates to gain a reputation as a national “hero,” then used banned dance powder to cause drought and blamed King Cobra. By worsening the conflict between the royal family and the Rebel Army, he intended to seize the kingdom and uncover its secrets. He initially spared Cobra and Vivi because he believed the royal family held the weapon’s whereabouts 25 26 27.

Pursuit of Yang Cheng

When the Unluckies reported that Yang Cheng had exposed his plans to Vivi, Crocodile questioned Nico Robin about a possible betrayal. Yang Cheng’s knowledge exceeded even Robin’s, leading Crocodile to suspect that the bounty hunter knew where Pluton was. Unwilling to risk subordinates acquiring that information for themselves, he personally traveled to Whiskey Peak with Robin 26.

At Whiskey Town, Yang Cheng told him that Pluton itself was not in Alabasta, but that a Poneglyph there recorded its location. Crocodile demanded the inscription’s whereabouts and attacked when Yang Cheng refused to reveal them. After witnessing his opponent’s strength, he offered to spare and promote him in exchange for the information. Yang Cheng rejected the offer and mocked his dependence on Pluton, provoking Crocodile into fighting without restraint 27 28 29.

Defeat and Aftermath

The battle lasted from daylight until nightfall and reduced Whiskey Town to ruins. Yang Cheng’s explosive sword attacks, Armament Haki, and Azure Flame restraints overcame Crocodile’s defenses, eventually forcing him to flee wounded and leave Robin behind. Yang Cheng could defeat him there, but judged that killing him—or pursuing him into Alabasta’s desert—was beyond his current capabilities 29 30.

Afterward, Yang Cheng expected Crocodile to preserve his heroic public image and continue his takeover gradually rather than openly attack the kingdom. He advised Vivi to secretly coordinate with Cobra and Rebel Army leader Koza while maintaining the appearance of conflict, preventing Crocodile from realizing his scheme had been exposed 31.

Appearance

• Hair: Slicked-back and black 26.
• Face: A long scar running across his face 26.
• Left hand: Replaced by a Golden Hook 26.
• Clothing: Wears a fur coat when setting out to confront Yang Cheng 26.
• Habitual accessory: Carries a large cigar between his teeth, including during combat 26 28.

Personality

Crocodile is self-centered, distrustful, and confident enough to claim that he does not need subordinates. He treats Baroque Works’ agents as tools and refuses to entrust them with information as valuable as Pluton’s location. His ambition centers on obtaining the weapon, returning to the New World, and competing with its leading pirates 25 26 28 29.

He can recognize useful talent: Yang Cheng’s performance persuaded him to offer recruitment despite the bounty hunter’s betrayal. However, criticism of his reliance on Pluton struck a nerve. His anger displaced his earlier intention to keep Yang Cheng alive for interrogation, and he became willing to kill him once he knew the relevant Poneglyph was somewhere in Alabasta 28 29.

Abilities & Skills

Sand-Sand Fruit

Crocodile has exceptional mastery of his Devil Fruit, using sand for ranged attacks, battlefield control, and large-scale destruction 27 29.

• Sand generation and manipulation: Forms blades, cyclones, and defensive walls of windblown sand 28 29 30.
• Moisture extraction: Can drain moisture from bodies, vegetation, and the earth, leaving victims desiccated and terrain reduced to sand 27 29 30.
• Terrain advantage: Alabasta’s vast desert supplies enough sand for attacks comparable to natural disasters. Yang Cheng compares this environmental advantage to the effectiveness of Devil Fruit Awakening; Crocodile is not shown actually awakening his fruit 28 31.
• Disruption: Rending Wound’s explosions scatter his gathered sand, breaking apart attacks that ordinary sword slashes would not reliably neutralize 28 29.

Elementalization

Crocodile can transform his body into sand and re-form elsewhere, making him nearly immune to ordinary physical damage 28.

• Survives an explosion that leaves a crater dozens of meters across by elementalizing before the blast 28.
• Uses his sand form to create distance from an opponent 29.
• Armament Haki can strike his body and force transformed limbs back into their original form 29 30.
• Azure Flame chains prevent him from elementalizing while restrained. He escapes by converting the ground beneath him into sand 29 30.

Named Techniques

Haki and Close Combat

• Knows about Haki, but is not particularly skilled at using it 30.
• Yang Cheng identifies his physical combat and Haki training as weaknesses relative to his highly developed Devil Fruit powers 27.
• Uses his Golden Hook to block sword strikes, but cannot rely on elementalization once he discovers that Yang Cheng possesses Armament Haki 28 29.
• Remains standing after a Haki-coated punch sends him through two wooden buildings 30.

Criminal Organization and Political Manipulation

• Directs a concealed organization that earns money through bounty hunting and gathers intelligence 21 29.
• Uses manufactured drought, scapegoating, and public heroics to turn Alabasta’s population against its ruler 25.
• Protects Nico Robin through his Shichibukai status in exchange for access to her Poneglyph-reading ability 28.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Golden Hook — Replaces his left hand and serves as a close-combat weapon and defensive tool 26 28 29.
• Eternal Pose to Whiskey Peak — Allows him to navigate to the Baroque Works base where Yang Cheng awaits him 27.
• Dance powder — Banned substance used in his scheme to cause Alabasta’s drought and incriminate Cobra 25.

Relationships

• Nico Robin / Miss All Sunday — Partner, secretary, and nominal vice president of Baroque Works. Their arrangement is mutually exploitative: he shelters her, while she provides the Poneglyph deciphering he needs. He abandons her during his retreat 21 28 30 31.
• Yang Cheng / Mr. 5 — Recruited bounty hunter turned enemy. Crocodile supplied Rending Wound and the Bomb-Bomb Fruit as recruitment rewards, later sought Pluton information from him, and ultimately lost their battle 21 26 30.
• Nefertari D. Vivi — Princess investigating his organization and seeking to save Alabasta. Crocodile initially regards her infiltration as insignificant and keeps her alive because of the royal family’s possible connection to Pluton 25 26.
• King Cobra — Target of Crocodile’s political framing and a suspected source of Pluton’s whereabouts 25 26.
• Miss Valentine / Mikita — Former agent and Yang Cheng’s partner, blacklisted after their secrets are exposed. She remains with Yang Cheng during Crocodile’s arrival and celebrates his defeat 25 27 30.

Notable Quotes

“Once I have Pluton, I have no intention of staying long in some little place like Alabasta.” 28

“Then let’s see whether your strength is as sharp as your tongue!” 29