One Piece’s Straw Hat Pirates may only have a few members, but they have taken down big organizations. One of their earliest nemeses is Crocodile’s Baroque Works. The former Warlord created a criminal organization that deeply incorporated anonymity into its organizational chart. To do this, each of its most powerful agents hides under a codename; even Crocodile’s identity is unknown to his subordinates.
Baroque Works’ sole purpose is to become Crocodile’s military might as the Warlord attempts to usurp the Kingdom of Alabasta and unearth the Poneglyph hidden in its territory. The anonymity is a safekeeping measure that allows him to cut any loose ends with ease, while also saving his image as a Warlord. Since its purpose is to hide the identities of the Baroque Works members, the codename system is rather simple but effective. The codenames follow a certain pattern, but one particular agent stands out from the others — Miss Doublefinger.
Baroque Works’ Codename System in One Piece, Explained
The codename system serves several purposes within Baroque Works. It allows members to maintain anonymity and secrecy, as their true identities are known only to their superiors — Crocodile and Nico Robin. Additionally, it helps to maintain a sense of hierarchy and order within the group, as members are ranked and identified according to their level of skill and importance. But given the organization’s size, only the top-ranking agents receive a specialized codename.
Baroque Works’ strongest agents work in pairs, one male and one female. The top-ranking male officers are granted a number codename, and that number corresponds to their power ranking within the organization. Mr. 1 is the strongest, followed by Mr. 2. Meanwhile, the female agents are granted codenames relating to days. For instance, Mr. 3’s partner is Miss Goldenweek while Mr. 4’s partner is Miss Merry Christmas. That then raises the question of why Mr. 1’s partner was given the unique codename of Miss Doublefinger.
Miss Doublefinger’s Codename Is Connected to Eiichiro Oda’s Peculiar Habit
One Piece’s tankobon volumes have a section referred to as “SBS”, short for Shitsumon o Boshū Suru, which translates to “I’m Taking Questions”. As the name suggests, it’s a column where Eiichiro Oda, the brilliant mangaka behind One Piece, answers questions from fans. In the SBS column of Volume 18, Oda confirms how the Baroque Works’ codename structure works. He also reveals that Mr. 2 Bon Clay’s name is a mixture of Mr. 2 for the male agent and Bon Kurei (Clay) — which refers to the Bon Festivals — for the female agent counterpart.
In the very same answer, Oda reveals that Miss Doublefinger refers to New Year (January 1st). Oda has a particular way of referring to the holiday, where he uses both of his index fingers to represent 1-1. Given that Miss Doublefinger is Mr. 1’s partner, New Year is the perfect codename for her in One Piece.