Here’s what’s going on with One Piece’s mysterious Mr. 7, and the organization he works for

Here’s what’s going on with One Piece’s mysterious Mr. 7, and the organization he works for

Time Stamp: August 31, 2023 3:40 PM

Luffy and the rest of the Straw Hat Pirates are sailing back onto Netflix in a major way. Netflix released its new adaptation of One Piece on Thursday. Now, long-term and new fans alike will be able to see Luffy and friends make the big jump from animation to live-action adventures.

Astute viewers might have noticed that the debut episode starts by introducing some pretty mysterious characters and organizations. The show doesn’t explain everything that’s going on, but that’s OK. One Piece is based on the long-running anime and manga of the same name, so we still have a strong idea of what’s happening.

Here is everything you need to know about Mr. 7, the mysterious character introduced to Zoro in the first episode, and his organization, Baroque Works.

What is Baroque Works?

It’s more helpful to explain what Baroque Works is before we get into Mr. 7, since that’s the organization he’s a part of.

[Ed. note: This explanation contains light spoilers for the Arabasta Arc in One Piece — which will probably be part of season 2 of the Netflix show.]

In One Piece, the World Government and the Marines, are allied with seven powerful pirates called The Seven Warlords of the Sea. The concept is a bit counter-intuitive because the Marines regularly fight pirates, but these pirates are basically wielded as government agents in exchange for immunity. (You can watch Helmeppo explain the system to Koby in episode 5 of the live-action series.)

One of the seven warlords is named Sir Crocodile or Warlord Crocodile. In the anime and manga, Crocodile created a secret organization called Baroque Works with the intention of overthrowing the government of the desert nation named Arabasta. Fans will likely remember Baroque Works because it contains several members who go on to play major roles in the story. Its members include Mr. 7 and Miss All Sunday, the alter ego of the pirate Nico Robin — who long-time fans will be very familiar with.

Who is Mr. 7 in the live-action One Piece?

Mr. 7 (played by Ben Kgosimore) is a man who attempts to recruit Zoro to Baroque Works in the live-action adaptation of One Piece. After a brief conversation, Zoro cuts him down.

The members of Baroque Works use a codename system where members take on special names based on seniority. Therefore, if one Mr. 7 dies, he will be replaced by another “Mr. 7.”

The manga and anime show a character named Mr. 7 who wears a kerchief and is a sniper. This is likely not the Mr. 7 we see in the live-action, but the replacement Mr. 7 role for the swordsman Zoro kills in the opening scenes. This is in line with the manga, which confirms that there was a Mr. 7 who died in the line of duty and who tried to recruit Zoro.

Regardless of which Mr. 7 we’re talking about, both don’t play a large role in the manga and their connection to Baroque Works is more notable than any individual contribution to the story.

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