What Is Baroque Works? One Piece Season 2’s Villains Explained

Warning: Spoilers ahead for the One Piece manga.One Piece season 1 made several ominous references to an organization known as Baroque Works, setting up a major storyline will be at the center of season 2 when it arrives in March. Monkey D. Luffy's maiden live-action voyage has already featured a literal menagerie of antagonists, from the cruelty of Kuro to the fierce brutality of Arlong.

Despite facing so many enemies in season 1, however, Netflix's One Piece also laid the foundations for future battles. Since then, multiple Baroque Works characters have been confirmed for One Piece season 2. Explicit references to Baroque Works are made throughout One Piece season 1, marking a drastic shift from Eiichiro Oda's original manga, in which Baroque Works is not mentioned until far later.

The One Piece season 2 trailer has given fans their first proper look at several key members of Baroque Works, including Miss Wednesday and Miss All Sunday (AKA Nefertari Vivi and Nico Robin). The stage is set for the Straw Hats to cross paths with some of the most iconic villains One Piece has to offer, with Iñaki Godoy's Luffy facing a threat far greater than anything seen in season 1.

Baroque Works Is A Crime Syndicate Led By “Mr. 0” Crocodile

Most Baroque Members Don't Know Who They Are Working For

Season 1 of Netflix's live-action One Piece focuses largely on pirates vs. the Marines in season 1, but Baroque Works is an organization that blurs those lines. More akin to a mafia outfit, Baroque Works is based in the Grand Line and has ambitious financial and political aims that involve taking over the country of Alabasta.

At the heart of Baroque Works is Crocodile (played in One Piece season 2 by Joe Manganiello), a fearsome pirate and Devil Fruit-user who is leagues ahead of Arlong in the One Piece hierarchy. Whereas Arlong's bounty stands at 20,000,000 berries, Crocodile's is a whopping 81,000,000, and even that is outdated by the time Luffy encounters him.

The upper echelons of Crocodile's pirate crew serve as the officers of Baroque Works and key villains of One Piece season 2. The male members are assigned numbers as code names - such as Zoro's ill-fated friend, Mr. 7 - and the females assigned days or holidays, such as "Miss Valentine."

Most Baroque Works members are blissfully unaware of exactly whom they work for, and equally ignorant as to the group's true aims. The gradual peeling back of the many mysteries surrounding Baroque Works is one of the most satisfying aspects of the One Piece manga. However, the live-action One Piece won't be jumping straight into this moment.

Baroque Works Will Be The Main Villains Of One Piece Season 2

Crocodile Is Expected To Be The Overarching Threat Of The Season

One Piece season 1 didn’t have a main overarching villain, although Arlong did appear earlier in the live-action show compared to the manga or the anime. Luffy’s grandfather Monkey D. Garp was also a recurring antagonist in the first season, but his real goal was to test his grandson’s spirit and not simply capture him.

However, One Piece season 2 will have a clearer main threat than the first season thanks to Baroque Works. In the original manga, Luffy and the others learn about Baroque Works shortly after entering the Grand Line thanks to Miss Wednesday, but it takes a while before they understand what kind of threat they are.

Once Miss Wednesday’s cover is exposed and viewers are introduced to Princess Nefertari Vivi of Alabasta (played in the Netflix adaptation by Charithra Chandra), it becomes clear that the Straw Hats are about to make very powerful enemies. Most of the anime arcs that One Piece season 2 will cover feature Baroque Works members.

Every Member Of Baroque Works Confirmed For One Piece Season 2

Several Baroque Works Members Have Been Cast For Season 2

In addition to Joe Manganiello as Crocodile, several members of Baroque Works have been confirmed for One Piece season 2. Their roles in the story vary significantly, with some being henchmen easily defeated by Luffy, while others continue to appear in the manga to this day.

Interestingly, Netflix has avoided referring to key characters such as Nico Robin, Crocodile, and Vivi by their real names, instead using their Baroque Works designations to avoid spoiling those not familiar with the source material.

Several Baroque Works members were revealed in the One Piece season 2 trailer, though it's still unclear exactly how they'll be worked into the story given how the live-action version makes slight adjustments to the timeline of the narrative. In the manga, several important characters from this group only appear at Alabasta, which the Netflix show will cover in season 3.

How Baroque Works Is Different To One Piece Season 1's Villains

The Stakes Will Be Higher For Luffy And His Friends

The villains Luffy faced throughout One Piece season 1 were largely disconnected. Arlong acted as the first "big bad," but even the great fish-man only became prominent during the back half of Netflix's debut season. Alongside Alvida, Morgan, Buggy, and Kuro, One Piece's live-action villains gave season 1 an episodic structure.

Baroque Works will change that in One Piece season 2. Assuming the show will follow the manga's structure, Straw Hats will gradually work their way up the Baroque Works chain, beginning with the likes of Mr. 5 and culminating in a definitive battle against Crocodile.

That isn't to say every single villain in One Piece season 2 will be employed by Baroque Works. For example, with Chopper as the next live-action Straw Hat crew member, annoying Devil Fruit-user Wapol is confirmed for season 2.

However, Baroque Works will still provide the constant, long-term thread that Netflix's One Piece has thus far lacked. Eiichiro Oda's Baroque Works and Alabasta storylines contain enough material for the Netflix adaptation to stretch nicely into One Piece season 3.

Baroque Works’ Story Will Not End In One Piece Season 2

The Alabasta Arc Won't Be Covered In Netflix's One Piece Season 2

Baroque Works' appearance in One Piece season 2 has huge ramifications for the Netflix series. For starters, the new villains will trigger an influx of Devil Fruit powers into live-action. Of Luffy's season 1 antagonists, only Buggy the Clown has eaten one of One Piece's infamous fruits.

With Baroque Works, Crocodile and the vast majority of his superior officers all possess Devil Fruit abilities of some description, including candle wax, swords for hands, facial transformation, and exploding snot. This alone will make One Piece season 2 a very different visual spectacle.

Baroque Works is also directly responsible for introducing major new allies to the Straw Hat Pirates. Future comrades Nico Robin and Vivi both join Luffy's side during One Piece's Baroque Works arc, with both characters having already been cast. Beyond new characters, Baroque Works would also bring a boatload of new lore into One Piece.

Crocodile's grand plan connects to One Piece's ancient three weapons - a mystery still not fully solved after 1000 manga chapters. Encountering Baroque Works also means poneglyphs, Luffy's brother, and the history of One Piece's world all become way more important in season 2. That said, Baroque Works' presence on the show will continue past season 2.

The live-action show will not cover the Alabasta arc during its second season, as confirmed by Eiichiro Oda himself. Netflix's One Piece season 2 will include Loguetown, Reverse Mountain, Whisky Peak, Little Garden, and Drum Island, but not Alabasta. This means that Crocodile's defeat and the truth about his interest in the Kingdom of Alabasta won't happen until much later in the live-action version of the story.