Who Is Mr. 0? ONE PIECE Season 2’s Villain, Explained

Aside from the New York Knicks actually being good now, there has been perhaps nothing more surprising than the success of Netflix’s live-action One Piece adaptation. Considering many adaptations often fail to capture the magic of the original outings, this adaptation was a welcome change of pace that showcased an immense love for the source material. One Piece season one wasn’t apologetic at all about its portrayal of the world and its characters, especially with the most absurd ones (e.g., never explaining why snails are the method of communication is simply *chef’s kiss*). And it managed to tackle all of One Piece‘s characters, from heroes to villains, with a deft hand.

But one major change for fans in One Piece season two is that, unlike in the East Blue Saga, there’s more of a single major threat presiding over the adventures of the Straw Hats. Whereas, in season one, we saw the crew face off against an assortment of baddies ranging from an axe-handed marine, to an evil butler and a vindictive fishman, season two introduces the assassins guild Baroque Works as our chief foes and its esteemed, fan-favorite leader, Mr. 0, as One Piece season two’s key villain. 

But who is One Piece season two’s Mr. 0? And what does his appearance signal for the future of the series? Fret no more, fellow Straw Hats, we’ve got you covered! Let’s dive into everything you need to know about One Piece season two’s major villain, Mr. 0… Also known as Crocodile.

How is Live-Action Mr. 0 Introduced in One Piece Season 2?

The sophomore season of One Piece opts for the ominous approach when introducing its villain, infusing subtle mentions of him by his underlings throughout season two. That is, until episode five of One Piece season two, when chef extraordinaire, Sanji, intercepts a call and gets our baddie to reveal himself as Mr. 0, played by the legendary Joe Manganiello.

In episode five, we still don’t get a good look at our villain Mr. 0—a sequence of events that mirrors the pages of the original manga. But we do get our first taste of Mr. 0’s abilities. We see a flower dry out and die almost instantaneously as Mr. 0 gets angry upon hearing of his agent’s failures in dealing with the Straw Hat Pirates.

But the actual HUZZAH reveal? That comes in the very last scene of One Piece season two, where the villainous Mr. 0 reveals himself as the dangerous pirate Crocodile. Cool name (and extremely on-the-nose secret lair crocodile embroidery) aside, it’s shown that his bounty was cancelled by the World Government due to Mr. 0/Crocodile being one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. So like, he’s kind of a big deal. 

So… Who is One Piece‘s Crocodile? There’s More to This Villain Than Leading Baroque Works as Mr. 0

Aside from his physical appearance—which looks as if Tim Burton had designed a mob boss to be the antagonist of The Nightmare Before Christmas—Crocodile has a lot going on that makes him so dangerous. In One Piece season two, we come to see some of what makes him such a powerful villain. He has an entire criminal syndicate at his fingertips and has thousands of Baroque Works agents willing to work for his cause. But that’s just the top of the iceberg for this One Piece villain. We’re about to get into Crocodile/Mr. 0’s story from the One Piece manga and anime, so if you don’t want to know anything more about this foe, turn back now.

Mr. 0/Crocodile Is One of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Allowing Him to Commit Great Evil

As one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Crocodile is an extremely powerful foe and one of the defining antagonists for the early era of One Piece. He’s almost the complete antithesis of season one’s climactic villain, Arlong; instead of some understandable, but misplaced, animosity towards all humans, One Piece‘s Crocodile is just good ole’ fashioned evil. His status and ostensible alliance with the government give him the requisite shield to commit massive crimes against the kingdom of Alabasta. The government, of course, does not know everything he is up to, though, as we see in One Piece season two. But given their accord with Crocodile and the other Warlords of the Sea, it sure would be embarrassing if Crocodile was flagrantly abusing his power right under their noses… Wouldn’t it?

What Is Operation Utopia? Crocodile Has His Sights Set on the Kingdom of Alabasta on One Piece

At the end of One Piece season two, Mr. 0/Crocodile tells Miss All Sunday/Nico Robin that they will commence with Operation Utopia. But what is Operation Utopia in One Piece‘s world? Well, we’ll tell you about the beginning of it.

In the original One Piece manga/anime story, Operation Utopia is Crocodile’s plan to take over the kingdom of Alabasta and create a “Utopia” that rivals the power of the World Government, though he also seeks a mysterious weapon which he believes is hidden in Alabasta. To enact Project Utopia, Crocodile uses his Mr. 0 identity and his Baroque Works agents to sow chaos and his position as a Warlord of the Sea to gain trust.

Crocodile rises to power by positioning himself as a savior of Alabasta, as it’s in the midst of an enormous drought, while accusing the king, Nefertari Cobra, the father of season two newcomer Nefertari Vivi, played by Charithra Chandran, of accruing all the valuable resources for himself. Of course, such a narrative is all a ruse: Crocodile is the one causing the drought, and is able to frame King Cobra thanks to some useful Devil Fruit powers by one of his higher-ranking agents in Baroque Works, Mr. 2, who is essentially the silly-goose version of Mystique from Marvel Comics. 

It has been confirmed that One Piece season three will begin to tell the story of One Piece‘s Alabasta Saga, so we’ll have to wait and see if Mr. 0/Crocodile plays the same villainous role in the live-action version of events.

One Piece‘s Crocodile Is Like a Dark Version of Luffy

Furthermore, Crocodile’s style of villainy in One Piece conveys a more acerbic political message, not just because of what it says about the World Government’s systemic issues, but also because of his role as a foreign actor who tries to sow division in another country for his own material gains. As he states at the end of One Piece season two, Crocodile also seeks to find the One Piece, but believes he needs the state military power of Alabasta in order to have a chance. He’s a darker shadow of Luffy, who also will do anything to become the pirate king, except without the whole assassinating and staunchly believing in people’s freedoms sort of thing. 

Mr. 0/Crocodile’s Devil Fruit Powers and Abilities, Explained

But make no mistake: while Crocodile, at least initially, doesn’t rely on his physical strength, he can throw hands when needed. And while we love his tribute to classic pirate lore by wielding that deadly golden hook for an arm, that’s largely thanks to Mr. 0/Crocodile’s Devil Fruit: the sand-sand fruit. It’s one of One Piece‘s “logia”-type Devil Fruits, meaning it allows its user to transform their body into an element. It’s similar to what viewers saw with Captain Smoker of the Marines, only this Devil Fruit power allows Crocodile to turn his body into and manipulate, you guessed it, sand. If you ever thought Spider-Man had it easy battling against the Sandman (last Marvel Comics reference, promise), Crocodile is ruthless. 

How ruthless, exactly? Well, here are the powers and abilities that Crocodile’s Devil Fruit grants him. On top of being nearly impossible to make physical contact with, Crocodile has the bonus of being able to fully dehydrate anything he touches—as we saw with the flower during his aforementioned transponder snail conversation with “The Cook,” as Zoro would say, in One Piece season two. That ability also extends to human beings, making Crocodile, needless to say, the most deadly villain Luffy will encounter yet, considering he, you know, tends to like fighting people up close! 

Who Plays Live-Action Mr. 0/Crocodile on One Piece Season 2?

We already mentioned it, but it bears repeating. In Netflix’s live-action One Piece, Joe Manganiello plays Crocodile/Mr. 0.

More of This Villain Is Coming; Mr. 0/Crocodile Will Return in One Piece Season 3

It’s for all this and more that makes Crocodile such an exciting villain and addition to Netflix’s live-action One Piece adaptation. Given the way season two concludes, and Crocodile/Mr.0’s important role in the One Piece manga/anime versions of the Alabasta arc, we’re sure to see Joe Manganiello’s character return. And the best part? It’s likely fans won’t have to wait too long, as filming has already been underway.

You can stream all episodes of One Piece: Into the Grand Line right now on Netflix.

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