Netflix’s One Piece May Address a Famous Theory About Crocodile

One Piece recently made some shockwaves in the anime world thanks to casting its live-action iterations of Crocodile and Nico Robin. Set to join the Straw Hat Pirates for Netflix’s second season of the popular series, Joe Manganiello and Lera Abova will be taking on the roles of Alabasta’s big bad and the future Straw Hat respectively. With regarding to Crocodile, the Warlord of the Sea, there has been one big fan theory that can be categorized as one of the shonen’s biggest theories to date. Considering how the cast and crew of the series have been all-in on the Grand Line, will the “Mama Croc” theory make its way to the live-action series?

To start, the Mama Croc theory, for those who don’t know, teases the idea that Crocodile wasn’t always the man we knew today. In fact, according to many fans, it’s entirely possible that Crocodile was a woman to begin and One Piece followers believe that they have the receipts to prove it. In One Piece, there is a character named Emporio Ivankov, who has the powers of a Devil Fruit that allow him to transform the body of anyone he touches. During the shonen franchise we’ve seen him transform men into women, leading many to wonder if this had happened to Crocodile specifically.

The Mama Croc Theory In Action

So where did this theory come from? Well it came from One Piece itself and creator Eiichiro Oda. During one of Ivankov’s appearances in the shonen series, Emporio states that Crocodile has a secret connection to the gender-swapping pirate that he doesn’t want revealed. Oda himself explained this in a question and answer session with fans, “Crocodile has a weakness when it comes to his past that he can’t oppose. He definitely owes something that Ivankov game to him”. While nothing has been confirmed, the theory remains a part of the franchise to this very day.

“Mama Croc” Might Have Already Appeared in Live Action

In a shocking twist, keen-eyed fans believe they were actually able to spot the female version of Crocodile in the flashback to Loguetown in One Piece’s live-action series. The first season took the opportunity to revisit the death of Gol D. Roger and his declaration that the One Piece was real. During one brief moment, some viewers believe that they were able to spot Crocodile before they had their potential meeting with Emporio.

Crocodile in Season Two

Most likely, since One Piece’s live-action second season won’t feature Alabasta as its main focal point, then that means that Crocodile and Luffy’s big brawl probably won’t be featured in the series’ return. Luckily, this doesn’t mean that Baroqueworks’ leader won’t have a presence in locals such as Loguetown, Drum Island, and Little Garden. Informing his underlings in the background,  Crocodile might not physically fight the Straw Hats in the next season but his ominous presence will make for a good foreshadowing of what is to come.

Joe Manganiello, the actor playing Crocodile, is no stranger to playing some big villains. One of the biggest in the pop culture world was Deathstroke, aka Wade Wilson, in Zack Snyder’s Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. While Manganiello didn’t get the chance to stretch his legs as the DC villain, taking on the role of Crocodile is a great runner-up. 

Want to see if the Mama Croc theory actually makes its way to One Piece Season Two? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on the shonen franchise and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.