Chapter 105: Baroque Works

Baroque Works is a secret criminal organization that operates primarily in the first half of the Grand Line.

It has around 2,000 members. Its headquarters are located on Sandy Island, in the Kingdom of Alabasta. Its main activities include bounty hunting, theft, sabotage, espionage, and assassination.

The company's guiding principle is “mystery.” Employees are required to refer to each other by code names, and revealing or prying into anyone’s background is strictly prohibited.

The president is Mr. 0. Sir Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, runs the organization while concealing his identity. Under him are executives—Agents—each bearing a "Mr." code number and operating in male-female pairs with fellow Agents.

Agents ranked Mr. 5 and above are known as "Officer Agents." Nearly all of them are Devil Fruit users, and they use their extraordinary strength to carry out important missions.

Below them are the “Frontier Agents,” ranked from Mr. 6 to Mr. 12. They lead subordinates known as "Millions," who handle various tasks—such as fundraising—around the entrance of the Grand Line.

Mr. 13 and Miss Friday form a pair of animals who serve as enforcers and messengers. They are not included in the standard agent hierarchy.

The company’s ultimate goal is the creation of an "ideal nation"—more specifically, the takeover of the Kingdom of Alabasta.

—

“So, yeah! That’s the company overview♪ Any questions?”

“...Well… yeah, kind of… but what I really want to ask isn’t about the company. It’s why you’re doing all this… Nue-san.”

“I am not Nue-san!! Right now, I’m the top Frontier Agent!! Miss Mother’s Day!! And you are Mr. 6!!”

“...Miss Mother’s Day. Why did you infiltrate this organization…?”

“Hmm, I’ve got a few reasons~ But one is that I figured I’d use this civil war as a chance to train the newbies♡”

“Ah… so that’s why you told me to bring the recruits too…”

On the coast of the Kingdom of Alabasta, I—Miss Mother’s Day—was explaining the situation and how we ended up here to Mr. 6, aka Pe-tan—Page One. But he still looked completely baffled, so I decided to explain things a little more to lighten the mood. I glanced at the subordinates I’d brought, who were waiting among the rocks.

“See, that’s what this is about~♪ Lately, we’ve had a lot of newcomers, right? So I thought, why not throw a little vacation-slash-welcome party-slash-war for them!! Don’t you all wanna cut loose a bit!?”

“WOOOH!! Of course we do!!!”

“GYA-HAHAHA!! You’re the best, Nue-san!!!”

“You mean we’re gonna make this war-torn country even more of a mess!?”

My 500-strong unit of subordinates erupted in cheers at my call. I raised my voice again to get a breakdown of our force.

“You all seem fired up♡ —Baofan-chan (Aka Bao Huang), what’s the composition of the team we brought?”

“Rogeerrrrr!!!”

A lively voice rang out from atop a tall rocky cliff when I called her name.

The speaker was a young girl—not much shorter than me—with two horns sprouting from her head. Her face was hidden by a paper mask drawn with a single large eye. Despite her age, she’s one of our executives. She’s also the junior of Sono, who handles schedule management for Kaido and me.

“At Nue-sama’s command, King-sama assembled a combat force—about 500 strong!! And the breakdown is—!!”

The girl spread her arms and legs and glided down from the top of the rock using her ability. She seems to have a fondness for high places—a quirk from her powers. Dressed in the Wano style, she wore a short floral furisode that only reached mid-thigh, and strapped a giant fan with the kanji for "wind" on her back. When she landed, the clack of her wooden sandals echoed sharply.

Beasts Pirates “Shinuchi” Baofan (Flying Squirrel SMILE)

“Waiters: 300!! Pleasures: 180!! Gifters: 20!! And three Shinuchi!! This force is led by Tobiroppo member Page One-sama!! A total of 503!! That’s it!!!”

“Hmm, 503. Not bad. You’ve gotten good at reporting, Baofan-chan♡”

“Ehehe, thank you sooo much!!”

I patted Baofan’s frizzy head. Our crew has a lot of young but capable executives. The ones like Who’s Who and Sasaki, former pirate captains who joined us later, are usually strong and ambitious right away, which is great—but those born and raised with us like Jack, Ulti, Page One, and Baofan, they tend to grow up fast and turn out powerful thanks to our elite training. Plus, they’re especially loyal to me and Kaido♡

“You didn’t bring the Numbers?”

“Nah, they’d stand out too much here…”

“King-sama said the same thing!!”

“Aw, really? That’s too bad. I was hoping to feed them—it's been a while.”

“...They’re not suited for covert work.”

As I murmured my disappointment about the Numbers not being here, another figure appeared—dressed differently from the other soldiers.

Wearing a long black coat and a black mask that only covered her eyes, she had a slit emerald-green dress underneath and a horned hat atop her head. A striking beauty—and one of our Shinuchi with a particularly unique background.

Beasts Pirates “Shinuchi” Dulac – Bounty: 230 million berries

“So? Why exactly was I summoned personally?”

“Aww, Dulac, still as sour-faced as ever♪ Cool is fine and all, but you’re so pretty—you should smile more! Our crew’s all about fun and laughter, you know!!”

“GYAHAHAHA!! That’s right, Big Sis Dulac!!”

“…Don’t lump me in with people whose only skill is laughing. Now, the reason?”

Oh dear, seems like our noisy Pleasures aren’t her thing. She’s been with us for quite some time now, but Dulac’s still so cool and kind-hearted. It’s not like we forced the Pleasures to eat anything. They knew the risks and chose it themselves—sympathy is a bit condescending, don’t you think? Well, anyway, she wants a reason, so let’s give her one.

“The reason is~… I’m here to retrieve that thing from this country~~♪”

“! Don’t tell me… this country has a Poneglyph?”

“Ding ding ding!! Correct answer~~~♪ One of the reasons we came here is indeed for that Poneglyph!!”

As soon as I hinted at it, Dulac immediately guessed it. Well, if she was summoned and it’s “that thing,” there’s really only one possibility. Can’t blame her for being surprised.

“I see… but if it’s about retrieving it, there’s no need for me to be here, is there? I could just read it once it’s brought back.”

“Hmm, that’s true, but… come on, sometimes going outside leads to something nice, right~?”

“…I wasn’t hoping for that, though.”

Dulac replied in her usual quiet tone. Still so mysterious and cool. No wonder the male subordinates are so into her—though I’m more popular, obviously!!

“So, Nue-san. In other words, Crocodile and this civil war… you’re using the chaos to steal the Poneglyph, right?”

“Yep, pretty much~♪”

“…Got it. But why do I have to pretend to be some weak-sounding guy called Mr. 6—”

“Oh shoot, I forgot!! —Hey, you all!! Right now, I’m not the world’s cutest Nue-chan, I’m the star of Baroque Works, Miss Mother’s Day! So address me properly!! And you are all our subordinates, the Millions!!”

“Yes ma’am!! Understood!! Mr. 6, Miss Mother’s Day!!!”

“You jumped on that fast, didn’t you!? …Wait, more importantly, Miss Mother’s Day—what are you wearing…?”

"Oh, this? Fufufu♡ Cute outfit, right?♡"

I did a little twirl, as if to show off my adorable look that Page One had just commented on.

Right now, I was a sun-kissed, bronze-skinned Arabian dancer version of little Nue-chan.

"Hehe~♡ I got bored waiting for you guys, so I tanned myself and gave my look a makeover to match this country’s vibe♪ Pretty good, huh?"

"It looks great, Miss Mother’s Day!!"

"...So it's a disguise for covert operations—"

"You look super cute, Miss Mother's Day!!"

"Hehehe~♡ Well, I wouldn’t say that... okay, maybe I would!!! Alright, I’m feeling it now! Time for a live show!! It’s Nue-chan’s Alabasta Major City Tour, and we’re gonna gain some fans!!"

"Yes, yes, Nue-san!!"

"The cutest in the world!! Nue-san is soooo cuuuuute!!"

"This is supposed to be a covert mission, right!!? And you guys—stop cheering along!!!"

"...You've got it rough, don’t you?"

"Shut up, Dulac!!"

"By the way, Pe-tan got picked by process of elimination~~♫ Ulti-chan wanted to come too, but the pair had to be male and female, so no go~~♫ And Who’s-Who and Sasaki had other jobs apparently~~♫"

"...! (Damn it!! Why am I only free at times like this!?)"

"Bored Pe-tan!! Slacker Pe-tan!!"

"Huh!? Who the hell is Pe-tan!!!? Quit calling me names like that!!! I’ll kill you!!!"

"S-Sorry..."

"N-No, I mean, it just feels wrong not to shout along during Nue-san’s song..."

"Alabasta, one of the world’s most advanced civilizations... its royal family was once among the twenty kings who stayed on the surface... so why would they possess a Poneglyph with true history...?"

"Why are you calmly theorizing now!?"

"Do you just have to chime in with a retort?"

Oops. P-tan's outburst had the subordinates shrinking back. Well, even though he’s young, he is a Tobi Roppo. Strong enough that even regular fighters and Gifters would naturally be intimidated.

"...So, I understand you're on a covert mission to obtain the Poneglyph of true history... but in that case, are you abandoning the job you were assigned by Baroque Works? Managing this ship?"

"Of course~~♫ No need to follow that Croco-brat’s orders to the letter♫ It’s just camouflage to fool the other employees and the Navy♫ In short—our identities are a complete mystery!!"

"UNKNOWN, baby!!"

"...This ship is a rainmaking vessel that uses Dance Powder, right? We’ve got something similar back home."

P-tan glanced at the vessel moored on the shore—Baroque Works’ artificial rainmaking ship, the Fool. It creates rain using Dance Powder, causing droughts downwind. As he said, since our crew uses something similar, it's easy to recognize at a glance.

"Still... using Dance Powder, which is globally banned, just to manipulate the people's perception... Crocodile really has terrible taste."

"Ahaha♪ Is that supposed to be a dig at us, maybe~?"

"! That’s not what I meant..."

"Well, I don’t really care either way~♡ We’re pirates. Whether it’s in poor taste or banned globally, it has nothing to do with us. We’re not saints—if we decide to do something awful, we do it."

Pirates don’t need to follow society’s rules. “Dishonorable” means nothing to us. A pirate does whatever they want.

Which is why Crocodile, who uses whatever he can to get what he wants, is more of a real pirate than the rookies out there just playing pretend.

Still, being a Warlord of the Sea is tough. You have to hide stuff like this because if the government finds out, your title's at risk. We use Dance Powder too, but we keep it discreet, just like our other black market dealings. Not that we’d panic even if we were exposed. The government’s not gonna start a full-on fight with us over a little Dance Powder at this point.

"Mr. 6 and Miss Mother’s Day... as Frontier Agents, your top priority was to hide and manage the Fool so neither the government nor Alabasta’s people would discover it. —Well, now it’s our job♡"

"If we tip off the government, Crocodile loses his Warlord title, and the Navy comes after him. That would make his whole plan to take over the country meaningless."

"But we’re not going to expose him♡"

"Huh...? Then what exactly are you planning to do...?"

Page One looked puzzled. He must’ve assumed that since we said it was a covert mission, we’d be trying to bring Crocodile down with some clever scheme. Even the smart ones like Duraque were wearing the same confused face.

So I explained again what we were really here to do—and more importantly, about the key figures in this whole mess who stood against Crocodile.

"Fufufu~♡ Right now, there’s only one other group besides us that knows Mr. 0’s true identity and what Baroque Works is plotting."

"...? And that group is?"

"This."

I pulled a wanted poster from the UFO we use as a storage container and tossed it to Page One and the others.

They looked at it—and instead of being surprised, they just tilted their heads in confusion.

"...‘Straw Hat Luffy’?"

"The Straw Hat Crew... Never heard of them."

"Well, that makes sense~. —Baofan-chan, you know them?"

"Aye aye!! Uhh, let’s see... Straw Hat, Straw Hat..."

Baofan pulled a stack of notes from her hem and started flipping through them. Probably a list of pirate names. But—

"Sorry!! They’re not in here!!"

"You don’t need to apologize. Obviously. Just some low-tier pirate worth 30 million—no need to remember someone like that."

"Gyahaha!! He’s got such a wimpy-looking face!!"

"If that guy’s worth 30 mil, we’ve gotta be worth at least 100 mil each!!"

"Hah! Has the government lost its mind or what?"

Of course, there’s no way we’d know about some pirate worth a measly 30 million.

In our crew, a bounty of 30 million might get you in as a regular combatant, maybe even as a Gifter or a Headliner, but even then, you'd be ranked pretty low. Among our Headliners—many of whom are former pirate captains or well-known, powerful pirates—people sometimes scoff at bounties like that.

That said, it's obvious that what matters more than the bounty is actual strength. I decide to give them a light warning.

"Hey, hey, you guys. Don’t judge by appearances, okay?"

"! Ah… s-sorry!!"

"Hmph... Idiots. If you were with us, you’d already know appearances have nothing to do with strength."

"S-sorry."

The Gifters and other combatants in our crew who were laughing at the face on Straw Hat Luffy’s wanted poster go stiff the moment I call them out, clearly realizing their mistake. Even the ever-smiling Pleasures start sweating in silence.

As expected, the three Headliners and above—starting with P-tan—already understood that. They wouldn’t say anything based on appearances. …Though that doesn’t mean they aren’t underestimating him. What P-tan cautioned against was judging strength by looks alone.

"So, why exactly is this pirate crew aware of Crocodile’s hidden identity and actively opposing him?"

"Well, apparently, the missing princess of this country infiltrated Baroque Works as Miss Wednesday. While on assignment near the entrance to the Grand Line, she ran into this crew. And just as they met, Crocodile discovered she was undercover. He sent assassins after her, but the crew saved her, agreed to escort her back to the kingdom, and even promised to take down Crocodile."

"A noble rescue mission?"

"Obviously there’s more to it. They’ve got no reason to help. Most likely, they’re after Crocodile’s head, or maybe the Poneglyph of history, or something else entirely..."

"You think they’re using this conflict with Crocodile as a distraction to steal the Poneglyph?"

"Would these guys even create a decent opening? They’re not even good for stalling. Don’t forget—Crocodile’s still a Warlord, rotten or not. Unless they’ve got numbers on their side?"

"…They don’t exactly look like captains of a grand fleet."

As I explain, Pe-tan and Dulac go back and forth over the Straw Hat wanted poster, analyzing it in every possible way. It’s honestly fun to listen to. Of course they’d react that way. Smiling to myself, I recross my legs and add more information.

"Ahaha!! Well, there’s only six of them. Even counting the princess, that makes just seven."

"That’s way too few... They’ll get crushed instantly."

"…You’ve done your homework, huh."

"Fufun, right?"

I wink and nod at Dulac’s comment. I’m probably the most knowledgeable person in the world when it comes to the Straw Hat crew right now. Maybe even more than they are themselves.

Which is exactly why I know our crew’s estimates are, unfortunately, completely off.

"──So, we’re going to ignore Crocodile and all the Officer Agents and leave everything to the Straw Hats. Meanwhile, we’ll cause a bit of chaos and swipe the Poneglyph of history for ourselves♡"

"…What!?"

Everyone is stunned speechless, frozen in place.

But I ignore them and continue discussing the plan.

"Well, probably, that little sand gator’s gonna lose anyway. So, first, we head to Alubarna—"

"W-we’re just leaving Crocodile alone…?"

"……Well, worst case, even if Crocodile plays it smart, we can just kill him directly and be done with it…"

"Exactly. Like Pe-tan said~♪ So you all just pray Straw Hat wins and saves us the trouble—oh, Den-Den Mushi."

I brush off my subordinates' confusion, just as my Den-Den Mushi starts ringing. I pick it up. Who could it be?

"──Hello, Nue-san? Joker here."

"Yeees~ What’s up? Something happen again?"

"Yes. The Navy’s moving. And not just anyone… someone big."

"Eh, really!? Who’s coming? An Admiral? If it’s an Admiral, things are gonna get interesting~♡ Or maybe Garp?"

My heart races as I respond to Joker. If the Navy’s reacting to our movements, it’d have to be someone major. Whoever it is, it’s bound to be fun. So who could it be…? But the answer turns out to be completely unexpected.

"Fufu♡ Yes, it’s a former Admiral. Ever heard of the Pirate Guerrilla Unit?"

"! Ahh, that one… which means the one coming is—"

There’s only one person who comes to mind upon hearing that unit name. He’s famous even among Marines, and a lot of pirates harbor grudges against him. After all, just like Joker said—

"Yes. The former Marine Admiral and now Captain of the Pirate Guerrilla Unit—‘Black Arm’ Zephyr."

Once a Marine Admiral, known as the man who trained an entire generation of Marines… a living legend—Zephyr himself.

---

Kingdom of Alabasta, Port Town “Nanohana.”

Although it's a member nation of the World Government, the country has no stationed Marines due to the high level of trust in one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea based here—Crocodile. And yet, Marines were present.

“A Pirate Hunter Task Force!? That’s...!!”

“Yeah… It’s a mobile unit for hunting down Devil Fruit-using pirates. The squad captain is none other than ‘Black Arm Zephyr.’”

“You mean Zephyr-sensei? That unit is here?”

The one asking the question was a female Marine with a sword at her waist—Tashigi, a sergeant major in Marine Headquarters.

Answering her was a grim-faced officer chewing on two cigars—Marine Headquarters Captain "White Chase Smoker."

Having pursued the Straw Hat Pirates from Rogue Town in the East Blue on his own authority, Smoker and his elite unit had tracked scant leads across the Grand Line and arrived here in Alabasta, gathering intel on the crew’s movements.

But just then, a transmission came in from HQ. As white smoke billowed from his mouth, Smoker relayed the message aloud.

“According to HQ’s intelligence division… there’ve been sightings of the Beasts Pirates around the Alabasta Kingdom.”

“……!! The Beasts Pirates… N-no way, someone that big showing up in the first half of the Grand Line?”

The moment the name “Beasts Pirates” was mentioned, Tashigi and the other Marines broke into a cold sweat, their faces tightening. Even seasoned officers would go pale if that crew were on the move.

Why would one of the most feared pirate crews in the world be here of all places? Confusion swept through the Marines—but Smoker remained calm.

“...It’s not surprising. The Beasts Pirates… especially the Phantom Beast, are known for appearing out of nowhere. There's no place they couldn't be.”

“You mean Nue the Phantom Beast…? They said he showed up in Rogue Town too…”

“Yeah… Most likely they’re here to investigate—or possibly to eliminate him.”

When it comes to threats as large as the Beasts Pirates, HQ doesn’t hesitate to deploy its full strength. Fleets are dispatched at a minimum; admirals or Warlords of the Sea may even be mobilized.

But this time, it’s just a preliminary investigation—to confirm whether they’re actually here or find any traces. They can’t move an admiral or a Warlord without confirmation. That’s probably why the Pirate Hunter Task Force was chosen. Smoker reasoned as much.

“So… are we being asked to cooperate?”

“No. No such orders. They haven’t even decided whether to land in Alabasta yet.”

If they happened to cross paths, or if the Beasts Pirates were actually here, they might cooperate as fellow Marines—but joining the investigation wasn’t their mission. Smoker made that clear to his subordinates. Their mission hadn't changed.

“Our target is still the Straw Hat crew...!!”

“Yes, sir!! Captain Smoker!!”

—Of course, if they were to appear right in front of them, they’d capture them. That resolve was a given.

But first… to catch a pirate, you had to find them.

With that, Smoker and his unit began their intel-gathering operation in Alabasta.

“That place looks unusually lively…”

—And thanks to their efforts… pirates had, in fact, gathered in this town.

“Hey, old man. You seen someone like this around here? Wears a straw hat…”

In a restaurant in Nanohana, a young man causing a commotion showed a wanted poster to the shop owner.

Apparently searching for someone, he walked into the establishment after getting a report from one of his subordinates.

“What business does the Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates have in this country—Portgas D. Ace?”

—Meanwhile, elsewhere on the outskirts of town, another pirate was…

“P-... Mr. 6, sir!!”

“What is it? Trouble?”

“N-no!! Not exactly that… but I spotted someone real dangerous…!!”

“Dangerous?”

“Y-yes, sir. It’s just that—”

One of the subordinates came rushing back from the town center in a panic. As the man known as “Mr. 6” listened to the report, his eyes widened in shock.

“What!? Are you sure about this intel!?”

“Yes!! It’s definitely him…!!”

“Take me there. Now!!”

“R-right!! This way!! It’s a restaurant on the main street!!”

“Good!!”

Mr. 6 dashed off, following his subordinate—to crush and capture his target.

—And elsewhere again.

As a ship docked at the entrance to the port, a man leapt off the deck and sprinted straight for the town.

“FOOOOOOOD—!!!!”

“Wait up, damn it!!!”

Ignoring his companions’ attempts to stop him, the man in the straw hat made a beeline for the restaurant.

And inside that very restaurant, a man answered a Marine’s question with a fearless smile.

“…………I’m looking for my little brother.”

—Thus, in the Kingdom of Alabasta, a conspiracy-laced upheaval was about to begin.

---

—The Grand Line, at sea.

A single ship floated on the ocean, bearing the emblem of a seagull.

It was a sign that the ship belonged to the Marines.

And the pirate ships surrounding it—along with the bloodied pirates lying motionless on their decks—what did they signify?

They were proof.

Proof that these were powerful men—and defenders of justice.

🎵 “The sea watches us... at the world's beginning...” 🎵

On the deck of one of the pirate ships stood a lone man.

🎵 “The sea remembers... the world's end as well...” 🎵

The voice echoed over the deck—a funeral song, bidding farewell to Marines returning to the sea.

And the one singing it was a giant of an old man.

🎵 “So it guides us... toward the path we must follow...” 🎵

The man had purple hair, wore sunglasses, and bore the uniform of a Marine.

Once, he had stepped away from the battlefield, dedicating himself wholly to the training of young Marines.

🎵 “So it leads us... to a just world...” 🎵

But for some reason, he had returned to war.

He longed for a world where innocent people would never again suffer unjust sorrow.

And he hated the ones who brought such sorrow—pirates who tormented the innocent and spread tragedy.

🎵 “It embraces pain and suffering... with warmth, with kindness...” 🎵

That was why the man had returned to the battlefield.

Even after losing his beloved wife and child, even after his treasured students fell one by one—and even after his proud right arm had been torn from him.

“—Zephyr-sensei.”

“...What is it?”

“All pirates aboard this ship, including those who tried to flee, have been eliminated.”

“...I see.”

Hearing the report from one of his subordinates—also a former student—he turned to head back to the warship.

His massive mechanical weapon, Smasher, forged from Seastone and attached in place of his lost right arm, swung at his side as he walked across the deck. He glanced down at a pirate’s wanted poster, his brows knitting together.

“...Stay sharp, all of you…!!”

The pirate in the picture didn’t even look the part—far from it.

But that was the kind of enemy he had come to hunt.

Marine Headquarters – Pirate Hunter Task Force Commander (Former Admiral): “Black Arm Zephyr.”

“These aren’t the kind of pirates you can take lightly…!!! Be alert and move with caution!!!”

“Sir, yes sir!!!”

Their mission: investigate the Beasts Pirates, and if possible, intercept and eliminate any of their raiding ships.

With that purpose, Zephyr and his Pirate Hunter Task Force set their course for the Kingdom of Alabasta.