Morel Mackernasey

Morel Mackernasey (モラウ=マッカーナーシ, Morau Makkānāshi) is a Single-Star Sea Hunter who uses a giant smoking pipe and smoke as weapons, and was one of the members of the Chimera Ant Extermination Team. He is also the master of both Knuckle Bine and Shoot McMahon.

Appearance
Morel is a tall, well-built middle-aged man with shoulder-length white hair and prominent facial features, including a broad face, a strong square chin, and a crooked nose. He is always seen wearing pince-nez sunglasses. He typically wears a red tie and a gray shirt, which he tucks into his pants. He also carries a giant smoking pipe.

Personality


Like his colleagues, Morel is very experienced in his field, patient, and calm. He is willing to wait for quite some time for his plans to come to fruition and also able to keep his cool in the middle of battle. He is very perceptive of his opponents, particularly Cheetu and Leol, and used his calm disposition to outwit both of them. As the teacher of both Knuckle and Shoot, Morel proves to have good leadership skills and coordination with his team mates, although, like most Manipulators, he also works accordingly by himself.

Despite all these, Morel is very emotional and has a great sense of compassion; he once cried during the exchange between Colt and the Chimera Ant Queen, and promised Colt that he would protect him and "Reina" from harm. His emotional nature has rubbed off on his disciples, especially Knuckle Bine.

Background
After passing the Hunter Exam and learning Nen, Morel became Knuckle and Shoot's teacher. He and Knov are good comrades and both of them are members of the pro-Netero faction in the Hunter Association. At some point, Morel befriended Grachan and Likke.

Chimera Ant arc


When the V5 hire Chairman Netero to exterminate the Chimera Ants with any means, the Chairman enlists Morel and Knov's assistance, despite interference from Pariston. They are tasked with killing Queen before she gives birth to the King, which is estimated to happen in two months at the earliest. As the three accompany Netero to NGL, Knov and Morel leave their disciples in a town near the border.

Morel makes his first appearance when he is about to cross into NGL with Netero and Knov. Upon meeting Killua at a checkpoint, he taunts the boy about the state of fear that he is in. Killua replies that he thinks the three of them won't stand much chance against Neferpitou, but Morel laughs it off, telling Killua that the outcome of a Nen battle is never certain and one has to fight with absolute confidence in victory. Upon hearing that Gon attempted to attack his enemy, he comments he has more of a future than Killua. The three then advance into NGL.

When they come within sight of the nest, Netero wonders who between himself and Neferpitou is stronger. Morel expects him to fight the Chimera Ant anyway. Netero responds that even though their only target is the Queen, the range of Neferpitou's En makes a surgical attack on her impossible. They agree to slowly whittle down the enemy's numbers. Knov retrieves Morel's pipe from his pocket dimension. Claiming they can take it slow and enjoy it, the Sea Hunter creates an army of smoke bunnies to find out how many enemies they will have to deal with. Over the course of ten days, the trio manages to eliminate two squadrons, always starting from the leader. Netero reckons the Ants will use baits and traps, which Morel claims he and Knov can easily separate, but the latter suggests intentionally falling in traps at times, both to exterminate some of the more organized troops before they can all band together and to create chaos.

For their next plan, Morel creates a thick fog that covers an entire forest near the Ant Queen's colony while Knov places portals all over the ground. When a Chimera Ant falls into one, they find themselves in a large room conjured by Knov, where they are killed by the Chairman. Using this method, they manage to decimate 14 more squadrons. Morel feels their plan is unfair, to which Knov replies it is foolproof since, despite his modesty, Netero is still stronger than them and eager to fight. The Ants eventually wise up, and by the end of the fourth week they hole up inside the nest. Knov contacts Netero and asks him of they should take action. The Chairman insists on waiting for their disciples. When Morel objects they would not be not useful in a fight of that magnitude, Knov comments Netero likes to gamble and the two make a bet on whose pupils will show up the following day. Morel wagers 100,000 on Knuckle and Shoot, adding the clause that if they both lose, the pot goes to the Chairman. Knov bets for 1 million that Gon, Killua, and Palm will come along too, which Morel regards as throwing money down the drain.



The following day, they see Colt flying towards them. Knov opens a portal, but Morel notices the Ant is carrying a white flag. He comes to them with the intention of surrendering, telling them about the premature birth of the King and begging them to save the the Queen. He warns them that should the Queen die, the Squadron Leaders will leave the nest and try to spread their seed. Knov confirms to Morel it is possible. Morel accepts to take Colt to the Chairman, but adds that he cannot promise Netero will want to help him or spare his life. When he accepts anyway, they enter Knov's portal. The four relocate to a sumptuous room where Netero requests the Hunter Association to send Dr. Lee, her best surgeons and artificial organ specialists to the Queen's nest. Knov and Morel are worried to see him don his "heart" t-shirts, which he reserves for serious fights. The Sea Hunter is amazed by Netero's polished aura flow, which gives him the impression he is being stabbed by needles. To his and Knov's astonishment, Colt estimates that the Chairman will be killed by one of the Royal Guards before he can reach the King. Netero leaves Morel in charge and prepares to leave, causing the Sea Hunter to worry that he is going to take on the King by himself.

They return to the colony with the surgeons. Despite the doctors' efforts, all they can do is to prolong the dying moment of the Queen for a few minutes. Morel is shocked to discover some Ants retain memories from their life as humans. When Colt finds a baby in the Queen's body, Morel admonishes him to leave and hide where he cannot find him if he cannot swear he and the baby will never eat a human; crying, he also vows that, if they can, he will protect them with his life.

After Shoot and Knuckle capture Kite in the Queen's nest, Morel and the latter go to the Republic of Rokario to handle Cheetu, a former Squadron Leader with superhuman speed who killed and injured a number of humans in the vicinity of Pata City. The two of them ambush Cheetu on a road, with Morel hiding in a smoke screen and Knuckle standing in front of it. Cheetu effortlessly dodges Knuckle's punch and Morel's sneak attack, causing the Sea Hunter to praise his reflexes, and showers the two with punches without them being able to react. Even though the two Hunters manage to follow him with their sight after a while, their bodies are too slow to keep up with him. Morel blows more smoke, enveloping the three of them. When Knuckle moves in to attack Cheetu, Morel sends several smoke puppets with his appearance to encircle the Chimera Ant. Frozen by the surprise, Cheetu cannot prevent Knuckle from putting an A.P.R. on him. The former Squadron Leader tries to chase Knuckle in the smoke, but Morel trips him before retreating. The two Hunters hide in the surrounding vegetation with Zetsu. Cheetu runs away. Fearing he will get stronger, Morel contacts the Hunter Association to send someone who can match up well with him.

Through Colt, the Extermination Team becomes aware of the "Sorting" and that the Royal Guards know how to awaken Nen by force. Netero infiltrates the Republic of East Gorteau and warns the Extermination Team to assume the worst if they do not hear from him by the appointed day. Ten days before the rally announced by Ming Jol-ik takes place, Knov, Morel, Knuckle, Shoot, Gon and Killua take a train to East Gorteau. Morel remarks taking all of them breaks their promise to Netero, but Knov points out their agreement was for NGL, not East Gorteau, which Morel sees as splitting hairs. Nonetheless, he does not want to make them turn back. When Shoot voices his doubts about Gon, Morel replies he has the impression Gon has been saving his motivation to unleash it on his enemy. While they eat in a restaurant, Knov and Morel update the others on the "Sorting" and Netero's movements. At that moment, Netero sends Knov a text, causing Morel to wonder aloud if he has satellite dishes for ears, a comment that Netero anticipated.



That night, Morel confronts Gon, pretending to have doubts about him being part of the Extermination Team. He orders him to strike him with his full power as though he were Neferpitou. He removes his shirt and bulks up in preparation for Gon's attack, only to shiver and break into a cold sweat upon sensing his blood lust and power. Killua stops Gon and asks Morel if it is enough. Morel bursts into a laugh and approves of Gon, believing him to have the right touch of lunacy. Following the Chairman's instructions, the Extermination Team divides in three groups of two — Morel and Knov versus Shaiapouf, Knuckle and Shoot versus Menthuthuyoupi, Gon and Killua versus Neferpitou — and separate the Royal Guards from the King.

Nine days prior to the planned attack, in the evening, Knov and Morel talk to Marcos, a military leader in Ming Jol-ik's government, persuading him to sign an agreement whereby he shall disclose all military information in exchange for asylum for himself and his family. Morel thanks him for his assistance, while condemning his hypocrisy to himself. He swallows his irritation and instructs Marcos to go about his daily routine as usual. The two Hunters learn through Gon or Killua that the has "Sorting" already begun, and through Knuckle that Cheetu has escaped capture. Morel hangs up on his pupil and contacts the Hunter Association, throwing a tantrum because the Review Board did not select Likke as he recommended. Morel and Knov discuss the corruption in the Hunter Association, with Morel growing so frustrated at the shady moves of the pro-Vice-Chairman faction to sabotage Chairman Netero's plan and win the next Chairman Election that he knocks Knov's book off his hand. He laments that letting 5,000,000 die to ensure the death of the King is too high a price. He receives a call from Marcos, who tells him that unrest is spreading through the country. When Ming, manipulated by the Chimera Ants, appears on television and announces the enforcing of martial law, Morel, rejoicing, realizes that Gon and Killua are responsible for obstructing the "Sorting".

Morel puts the capital city Peijin under siege using his Smoke Troopers, with Knov's assistance. As he anticipated, Neferpitou recalls all their controlled puppets to protect the city, although the unpredictable behavior of the King is a minor source of worry for Morel. Three days later, Morel runs into Cheetu again, noticing he has become stronger and that A.P.R. is gone, which leads him to infer the Chimera Ants have an Exorcist on their side. He resolves to fight Cheetu in case he is the one. He activates Deep Purple, but Cheetu runs through the smoke and punches him. He initially assumes that the Ant has not changed his tactics. To his shock, the two are teleported to a savanna-like space. Cheetu excitedly announces they are starting a game of tag and that Morel has 8 hours to tag him. Morel, however, begins exploring his surroundings. Fearing the aura from Deep Purple would not return to him if he deactivated his Smoke Troopers, he decides to make do with his remaining aura. He tries smashing the hourglass, to no avail. He asks Cheetu what will happen if he does not catch him in time, noticing his ability was influenced by Hakoware, but the Ant does not reply. Morel thus lays down and declares he is going to sleep for five hours, while thinking that Cheetu does not understand that his own ability is not a contest of speed, but of wills.



Morel keeps pretending to try to sleep while Cheetu pesters him. He swings his pipe at him, annoyed, and lies back down, thinking that as soon as the Ant grows tired and takes his eyes off him, it is his victory. When Cheetu starts to read, Morel creates a rope out of smoke and ties it around his ankle. He then makes a clone of himself, to whom he leaves his pipe with the rope, with his smoke and covers himself with grass-colored smoke. Around the four-hour mark, he makes the clone stand up and point out the rope to Cheetu, who unsuccessfully tries to run away and break it while the clone reels him in. Cornered, Cheetu conjures a crossbow and claws. The clone easily blocks his arrow and provokes Cheetu by insulting his intelligence. Enraged, Cheetu stabs it with the claws, only to realize it was made out of smoke. Morel then touches his shoulder, stating he should have never looked away from him. The two are teleported back to Peijin, with Cheetu losing the will to fight. Morel enquires what would have happened had he failed to catch him. Cheetu replies it does not matter, as he can no longer use that ability. In high spirits, he rushes off to get another ability from Shaiapouf, with Morel wishing there were more enemies that easy to deal with.

Morel surmises one of the Royal Guards has the power to bestow Hatsu abilities onto others. He is contacted by Knov, who takes him in his pocket dimension and informs him that two more Ants, a lobster and a wolf, are looking for them. He adds that there seems to be a stalemate, which he attributes to his taking out Flutter. Later that same day, all of Neferpitou's puppets as well as their En disappear, which causes the two Hunters to realize something serious has happened in the Royal Palace. Morel advances that it could be a trap, but Knov states the Royal Guards would never do anything that could endanger the King. The two split up — Knov is going to infiltrate the palace to create an "exit" while Morel stays in Peijin.

Morel notices he is being followed by Leol and, due to his lack of knowledge about the area, is led in an underground chapel. Morel takes note of the Ant's confidence, which he believes will make him careless. He waits excitedly while Leol prepares his ability. He is surprised to see the Ant wear earphones. When he mentions being a fan of the second album of the band Black Planet, Morel thinks it is difficult to fight someone with the same tastes as him. He is shocked when Leol activates Inamura, instantly recognizing it as Grachan's ability. He manages to deflect Leol's harpoon strike, but is cut by his surfboard. He angrily claims the ability does not belong to Leol and swings his pipe at him. Dodging the attacks, Leol uses Tornave and sucks him into a whirlpool. Unable to move due to the pressure, he manages to free himself by exhaling. Forming another raft with his smoke to stand atop the water, he claims his turn has come.



He tells Leol he has realized three things about his ability, starting by saying he can borrow other people's powers. By stating his earphones are only for show, he lures Leol into talking back, confirming he is not restricting one of his senses to strengthen his ability. He concludes the list by angrily claiming Leol stole Inamura from his friend Grachan and vows to kill him. He dismisses Leol's defense that he is only borrowing the ability. When the Ant raises a tsunami with Big Wall, Morel takes a deep breath and lets himself be submerged again. Sitting at the bottom of the chapel, he forms his smoke into hoses and begins to exhale, rapidly converting the oxygen in the closed locale into CO2, poisoning Leol and causing him to drown. Morel then swims out of the chapel.

Upon reuniting with Knov, Morel discovers his friend has had a mental breakdown upon seeing Shaiapouf's aura, although he successfully planted all the portals. Two days before the raid, he updates the other Extermination Team members on the situation. On the eve of the attack, Killua, Gon and Ikalgo contact him to tell him they suspect Neferpitou rescinded their En to treat the King. Morel objects that the Royal Guards would have never injured him, and that all other Ants would have been unable to. Their hypothesis that the King hurt himself leaves him feeling flabbergasted and uneasy.

At 2 p.m., 10 hours before they strike, Morel, Shoot, Knuckle and Meleoron gather in Knov's pocket dimension. When Knov offers to keep watch over the Royal Guards, Morel warns him to be watch out for Neferpitou's irregularly-shaped En. Morel welcomes the news that Shaiapouf is hypnotizing the people gathered for the "Sorting" with relief, as that will prevent mass panic. At 6 p.m., Gon, Killua and Ikalgo enter the pocket dimension too. Gon asks if they have heard from Palm, which they haven't. Morel states they will start moving at 11:30. He notes with regret that the continuous battles have left him at 35% of his power, but with Knov's withdrawal from the mission, he intends to go on. When the time comes, he gives the signal so the Extermination Team can move to a room whose exit is closer to the palace. They wait outside for 20 minutes, keeping an eye on the palace. They all agree to infiltrate through the portal closest to the throne room, the one at the foot of the central stairway.

The Extermination Team enters the last room seven minutes before the attack, with Morel stating that they will gather around the exit in six minutes. He overhears Killua and Ikalgo talk about unforeseen circumstances and, barging in, suggests one of them would be a woman, since one of the King's goals is to reproduce and his activities in the palace are unknown. Knuckle advances that Bizeff may have been procuring women not for himself, but for the King, which leads the Extermination Team, with the exception of Gon, to worry about Palm's condition. Morel declares no amends will be made to the plan regardless of her state. Killua is still concerned about the King hurting himself and Morel proposes a brainstorming of possible scenarios. Gon states that the inability to forgive oneself is one. From it, Morel deduces that the King is proud and would never do anything against his will, which makes combat unavoidable. He then tells the others to gather in front of the exit. Ten seconds before midnight, he begins the countdown. He is the last one to storm the palace.

As soon as he emerges next to the stairway, he is surprised to find Menthuthuyoupi guarding it and to be unable to feel Neferpitou's En. As he prepares to blow smoke, Zeno's Dragon Dive rains down on the palace, which he manages to avoid. He is initially shocked when Gon charges at the Royal Guard, and only a few instants later does he realize that Gon is preparing to fight him in case Meleoron and Knuckle were killed by Dragon Dive without God's Accomplice being deactivated. He fears Shoot will have a breakdown, but his disciple quickly regains his composure. He smiles when Menthuthuyoupi is pushed to the side by an invisible force, indicating Knuckle and Meleoron survived. The Extermination Team freezes for a moment when Neferpitou's aura envelops them, which Menthuthuyoupi exploits to launch a devastating attack that shatters the stairway.

Morel comes out of it unscathed, although he is pushed back to the bottom of the stairs. Unable to call out to Knuckle, he entrusts Menthuthuyoupi to Shoot and mixes his smoky aura with the dust. From it several Smoke Troopers emerge which the Royal Guard rips apart in a flash. Morel hands his pipe to a clone with his appearance, who attacks Menthuthuyoupi from the side. As he focuses on the clone, Morel manages to slip past him. Before the Royal Guard can give chase, Knuckle punches him again. Through the smoky aura he previously spread through the palace, Morel senses that Shaiapouf is in the throne room. While he climbs up the stairs, Shoot returns his pipe to him. Morel gives his disciple a thumbs-up and thinks to himself he wants to go drinking with them, so he can convince them to a group hug.

Eight seconds after the beginning of the invasion, Morel manages to lock a distraught Shaiapouf in his Smoky Jail. The Royal Guard tries to fly away without paying Morel any mind, to the latter's irritation. After the Hunter proclaims he cannot let him go, Shaiapouf scatters his Spiritual Message. Morel holds his breath not to breathe in his hypnotic scales, ignoring Shaiapouf's questions and remarks. When the Royal Guard envelops himself in his wings, Morel thinks that regardless of what he transforms into, he will gain precious time. About two minutes later, he hears Menthuthuyoupi call out to Shaiapouf, and wonders about Knuckle and Shoot's status, Netero's mission, and why the Royal Guard does not answer from inside the cocoon. The latter question leaves Morel hesitant and impatience, but he steels himself and focuses on his task. Smoky Jail resists Menthuthuyoupi's slashes and later his explosion, but, unbeknownst to Morel, Shaiapouf begins to slip through the particles of smoke in the form of trillions of microscopic bugs.



Morel agonizes over whether Shaiapouf did not reply to Menthuthuyoupi because he was in a formless state and perfectly vulnerable, or if the cocoon is a trap, and in that case, if it will be triggered by an offensive action or if it is just a way to stall. Realizing Shaiapouf entered his pupal stage only after Morel's intentions were clear, the Hunter positions to strike with his pipe. Not sensing any reaction from inside the cocoon, he destroys it and deactivates Smoky Jail, finding Shaiapouf standing just outside of it. He explains how he came to that conclusion, but the Royal Guard chuckles and discloses he expected Morel to waste 15 minutes before he decided to cancel his ability. Morel comments that he gave him too little credit, but Shaiapouf retorts he overestimated him before splitting himself up in with Beelzebub. The Royal Guard claims he was in a predicament while confined, which Morel dismisses as a bluff to make him question himself. As he keeps taunting him, Morel forms Smoke Troopers that attack the fragments, which however reform immediately, causing Morel to wonder if his opponent is invincible. They thank him once again before disappearing into the night. Determined not to let himself be disheartened and dwell on the past, Morel tries to figure out where he will go. However, Shaiapouf reforms right behind him. He kicks down the Hunter and flies away with his pipe.



Immediately afterwards, Morel is spotted by Menthuthuyoupi, behind whom Knuckle also appears. Unable to activate any new abilities, the Sea Hunter gives his 89 Smoke Troopers Knuckle's appearance and surrounds the Royal Guard. He mows down over 20 in only a few seconds. Morel sends a Smoke Trooper to exploit an opening intentionally left by the Royal Guard, who counters. The Sea Hunter mocks him, stating the real one was never there. Incensed, Menthuthuyoupi jumps towards Morel, ready to burst, but the real Knuckle punches him aside, which allows the two Hunters to escape the explosion. Morel sends his Smoke Troopers, some of which he has turned into copies of himself, into the crater, where Menthuthuyoupi has mutated into a centaur-like monstrosity. Laughing savagely, he goes back to dispatching the smoke soldiers. When, around the nine-minute mark, only ten are left, Morel infers the Royal Guard is intentionally saving him for last. His exhaustion is such that, by the time the last Smoke Trooper vanishes, Morel can no longer stand, having reached his limit before Hakoware forced Menthuthuyoupi in a state of Zetsu. Unexpectedly, the latter expresses admiration for the Hunters. As he is about to be killed, Morel thinks that he does not mind dying at the Royal Guard's hands.

Before Menthuthuyoupi can land the final blow, Morel disappears thanks to Meleoron's God Accomplice. Nevertheless, his blade sinks deeply into Morel's back. As he is dragged away by Meleoron, he leaves a blood path behind, which allows Menthuthuyoupi to locate them. Knuckle arrives and begs him to let them go. Menthuthuyoupi refuses, but offers to spare them he if releases Hakoware. Morel screams at his disciple to refuse. Meleoron lets go of him, so he returns visible and audible. Even when the Royal Guard walks towards him, he keeps telling Knuckle to let him die. Despite his words, the sight of his master causes Knuckle to cave and he dispels A.P.R.. Morel despairs, their only chance of defeating Menthuthuyoupi vanished. The Royal Guard spares all of them and leaves to look for the King.

Knuckle rushes to help his teacher, who however angrily swats his hand away and orders him to go after Menthuthuyoupi. Knuckle confesses he can no longer see him as an enemy, but Knov suddenly appears and points out that the Royal Guard will return ruthless if only the King tells him so. He sets up a portal so he can take Morel to receive treatment, and, after the Sea Hunter tries to stand up to hit his pupil, announces that Netero has taken the King to the appointed place. As he is taken away, the Morel flips Knuckle off.



After the Chimera Ant Extermination mission is completed, Morel is hospitalized. He makes his report to Beans on the phone, stating that Netero succeeded but that he could not verify Meruem's death in person, a matter he entrusted to Palm. At Beans objection, Morel spitefully retorts that those who are out on the field trust the competence of their comrades. The secretary warns him the Vice Chairman's faction will not accept that logic and that he might be subjected to a hearing if the information leaks. Morel then contacts Colt, informing him that the surviving Chimera Ants will be classified as Magical Beasts and that their role in the incident in East Gorteau was covered up. He overhears the child Colt has found in the Queen's remains protest that her name is not Reina, but Kite. Morel rushes to tell Gon and Killua.

13th Hunter Chairman Election arc
Morel has the only official Exorcist in the Hunter Association come to the hospital to lift the Vow that put Gon in a coma and risks killing him, but she claims there is nothing she can do. Leorio visits Gon and has a heated conversation with Killua and his butler Gotoh on the phone. He refuses to hand his phone over to Morel, who calmly tells him to do so when he hears a demand that to him sounds impossible. Gotoh says to heal Gon there must be nobody but Gon in the building, to which Leorio replies they cannot evacuate a national hospital. Morel takes the phone and assures Gotoh that his condition will be met by building a wing just for Gon in the parking lot. He then calls Knov, telling him to prepare automatic machinery and that the contents of the room should be invisible to all. He agrees it sounds like Killua is bringing an Exorcist, but from the way the boy spoke he suspects it is something else. He insists to honor Killua's request and not make any other questions. Hearing this, Leorio leaves him his phone as he heads out to have a discussion with someone.

Soon afterwards, he finishes 8th in the Fourth Election for the 13th Hunter Chairman and becomes one of the 16 candidates in the 5th round. It is also suggested that he may qualify for a Triple-Star Hunter License thanks to his contributions to the extermination of the Chimera Ants.

Killlua calls him to explain that his brother Illumi is chasing him down to kill Alluka, the only person who, through granting wishes, is capable of healing Gon, and that he will manipulate civilians to do so. Killua asks him to inform Teradein's faction of his brother's heinous actions so they will hunt him down to further their own agenda. Morel agrees, with the stipulation he will tell them Illumi himself is too dangerous to pursue. Morel passes the 5th round of the election, but is pushed off the list of candidates in the 6th.

Teradein asks Netero to become their new captain after Bushidora's death. Undeterred, Teradein announces in a video to the Hunters that negotiations with Morel are underway, which prompts morel to respond in kind. In his video, he stresses he has no intention of being part of their faction or becoming Chairman, and criticizes him for ignoring his advice and dispersing his forces, also warning him that threatening to leak the killers' information will get them killed - which, in fact, it does.



When Killua and Alluka enter the special wing where Gon is and Nanika begins to heal him, Morel is appalled by the monstrous aura he perceives. After Gon is fully healed he leads him to Leorio, who is in the voting room where all the Hunters are voting for the 13th chairman, giving him a thumbs-up while crying. While everybody celebrates Gon's recovery, Morel requests from Leorio to not let Gon know that it was thanks to Killua he was healed. Later Knov hands Morel the money of their past bet, since Morel's students were the ones who arrived on the agreed date. Morel uses the money they had both waged to buy an expensive bottle of wine and drink to Netero's memory, placing a glass in front of a picture of the late chairman.

Dark Continent Expedition arc
Ginta reveals he has agreed to take the navigation from the New Continent's border to the Gate upon himself, so he suggests to leave it in the hands of his team.

Equipment


Pipe: Morel uses an oversized tobacco pipe as the medium for his Hatsu abilities and, should the need arise, as a melee weapon. It is composed of a white mouthpiece, a golden handle, and shank, both adorned with swirling high reliefs, a straight, black stem, and a spherical bowldark beige in color. Morel carries the pipe on his shoulder. When not in use, he keeps it wrapped in a gray canvas. During the palace invasion, the Royal Guard Shaiapouf dumped it into a river. It is unknown if Morel retrieved or replaced it afterwards.

Abilities & Powers
Morel has all the benefits granted by his status as a Hunter. He is both a good strategist and an experienced, resourceful fighter. He uses his pipe not only for his Nen abilities but also as a melee weapon, which he swings single-handedly and without effort despite its weight. He also possesses an unmatched lung capacity and strong spirit. By his own claim, his abilities work better as support and that he doesn't think of himself as a very strong fighter; in spite of this, he strategically defeated two powerful Squadron Leaders. By increasing the size of his muscles, he can enhance his strength and defense in preparation for a strong attack. He displayed this ability when testing the power of Gon's Rock after the latter recovered his Nen. He is also valued by the Zodiacs for his navigation abilities, taking it upon himself to steer their ship in the waters of the Dark Continent.

Enhanced Strength: Morel can wield his giant pipe as a club without effort, both with one and two hands, and even lift it with just two fingers. His clone, whose power is allegedly much lower than Morel's, could single-handedly stop Cheetu in spite of the latter's leg strength. With a single swipe of his pipe, he was able to send one of Neferpitou's controlled humans flying into the distance.

Enhanced Speed and Reflexes: After being repeatedly struck by Cheetu's fast punches, he was able to see Cheetu's movements and rapidly got accustomed to his speed. A clone of him managed to easily intercept an arrow shot by Cheetu at mid-range.

Advanced Agility: Morel can run on the rooftops and jump from one to another while carrying his huge pipe on his back.



Superhuman Lung Capacity: As a Sea Hunter, Morel has excellent lungs, allowing him to stay underwater for an extended period of time without taking any breath. He is confident that there are second to none. It is his proficiency in apnea that helped him win the battle against Leol in an underground church filled with water, first by letting him stay safe at the bottom, then by allowing him to exhale immense quantities of carbon dioxide to poison his opponent. Despite emitting enough of it to fill a good portion of a church, he managed to swim without breathing long enough to escape the maze-like building.

Proficient Strategist: Morel is can formulate accurate predictions on his opponent's move and has proved to be able to analyze hostile capabilities and thought patterns efficiently. He can devise effective strategies in a matter of instants, always exploiting his or his students' capabilities to the fullest. According to Shaiapouf, his determination, unshaking will, and confidence in himself bolster his defensive powers greatly. Also, Morel's years of experience can unconsciously lead him to pick the best option. He can keep his cold blood in extremely dangerous situations.

Weapon Specialist: Although he rarely switches to close-quarters combat, Morel can use his giant pipe as a club, delivering strong blows with only one hand.

Nen


Morel is a Manipulator. He is a veteran hailed as a very capable Nen user, and his two pupils are capable fighters in their own right. Knuckle, who has fought more than 5000 battles, claims Morel has the most abundant aura poll he had ever seen prior to meeting Youpi, amounting to 70,000 aura units, more than three times larger than Gon's (21,500 aura units). At 35% of his peak condition, Morel spread his smoky aura over a large area, summoned and controlled several smoke puppets, and maintained his impregnable Smoky Jail active for a few minutes. He is capable of using Ken, although he was frightened by an enraged Gon's Jajanken, and the latter indeed apologized, claiming his attack could have killed him. Morel is also a proficient Zetsu user, which, coupled with his ability to manipulate the smoke from his pipe, allows him to conceal his position to hide or launch a surprise attack.

On top of Manipulation, Morel appears to be skilled in Enhancement, which he uses to increase his defensive abilities. Morel easily withstood Cheetu's numerous, rapid blows. Moreover, he successfully held his breath when hit by the waves and maelstrom produced by Leol, as well as enduring the relatively high water pressure seemingly without effort. Shaiapouf, one of the Royal Guards, did not do any noticeable damage to him with a stomping kick, after which Morel was quickly back on his feet.

Morel is also proficient at Emission and Transmutation, despite the latter being the category he has the lowest affinity for. Since it is made out of aura, the smoke functions as an En of sorts, allowing him to sense the presence of anyone engulfed in it with enough accuracy to tell people apart. With this ability, he was able to cover at least a few floors of Ming Jol-ik's palace. This effectively prevents him from being obstructed by his own smoke screens. The usage of Transmutation might also be at the heart of his ability to change the color of his smoke; however, the consistency of the creation remains similar to that of smoke, so the trick becomes obvious upon contact. His smoke-like aura is incredibly realistic, tricking many Nen users into thinking it was actual smoke or dust, and since no combustion is involved, it can be summoned even underwater. The downside to Morel's smoke-related abilities is that he cannot activate new ones without his pipe and is forced to rely on existing smoky aura in that event.

Quotes

 * (To Killua) "Always fight like you're 100% confident you'll win!!"
 * (To Knov and Netero) "Well, let's take it slowly. We might as well enjoy it while we're at it."
 * (To Colt) "Can you swear that you and that baby will never eat a human? If you can't, go somewhere I'll never find you. But if you can... I'll never let anyone harm you two!! As long as I'm alive! That's a promise."
 * (To Knov) "Even if we manage to kill the King, it will be a failure if we let five million people die!!"
 * "Heh, piss yourself off. You don't understand your ability one bit. This isn't a test of speed. It's a contest of wills!!"
 * (To Cheetu) "Did you notice? It's not time to begin. It's already over."
 * (To Cheetu) "I'll tell you why you're gonna lose. 'Cause you're a complete moron."
 * (To Cheetu) "The battle goes on even while you sleep. You should've never taken your eyes off me."
 * "A guy who thinks all is going according to plan will show off his ability like there's no tomorrow!!"
 * "I've yet to meet anyone with a more flexible ability than my Deep Purple!!"
 * "I feel a tingling up my spine. The moment opponents showcase each one's abilities!! It's addictive."
 * "Yeah, so it may be wiser to attack before he shows his ability. But that's not how a man fights."
 * "It's hard to fight someone with the same tastes as mine..."
 * (To Leol) "He was helping exterminate Chimera Ants, so you must have defeated him. For taking his ability, you deserve to die a thousand deaths!! Your life ends... today!!"
 * "Something inside the palace is going haywire... Uh-oh... NowI'm starting to think something's going to go wrong..."
 * "I would've liked to have been at full strength... but if I have no reserves, at least I can resign myself to my fate."
 * "Shoot! Knuckle! Once this is over, let's drink ourselves silly with the best booze! That's the only way I can think of to convince you guys to a group hug!!"
 * "Right at this moment... I don't mind being killed by him..."
 * (To Beans) "I'm sure one of your pencil-pushers would write a perfect follow-up report. You guys sit at your comfy desks in air-conditioned rooms. It's different out here. When someone we trusts says they'll handle it, they'll handle it."
 * (To Leorio) "You're going to say, 'It can't be done.' Then you'll hand the phone over. Because I can get it done!"
 * (To Knov) "Killua said to trust him. When one of my men says that, the rule of the front lines is to shut up and leave it to him."
 * (To Teradein) "I'm a Sea Hunter!! You don't tie an ocean man to dry land!!"

Trivia

 * Morel is in possession of the best lung capacity in the whole series; ironically, he is also its grandest smoker.
 * The names of Morel's abilities, the preview for Episode 107, and the fact that the character is based on Ramo Nakajima, joke on the prospect that Morel's smoke may not be 'tobacco smoke'.
 * Interestingly, despite his signature identity revolving much around the notion of smoking, it is also unclear whether or not Morel is actually a smoker himself; seeing the smoke in his ability Deep Purple is transmuted from his Nen, and he so far has never been seen lighting his giant pipe for smoke nor has he ever been seen smoking outside of combat.
 * Morel's smoke appeared to be visible to low-ranked Chimera Ants, who should not have awakened to Nen to perceive it, given it is transmuted. Since he was still aware of what was going on inside the smoke screen, it is possible that this was either an oversight, that his power was later retconned to include Transmutation, or that Morel can also control and feel through normal or conjured smoke for the purpose of his ability if he deems it to be necessary to use physical smoke for any given situation.
 * Morel's eyes are never shown. He wears sunglasses even underwater and at night. He was also allowed to wear his sunglasses inside NGL, however his pipe was transported via Knov's Hide and Seek ability.
 * According to the "Hunter × Hunter Manual" section found in the Yu ☆ Yu ☆ Hakusho official character book (Shueisha Jump remix), Morel's stats are:

Intertextuality and References

 * His name in rōmaji, Morau Makkānāshi, is an anagram-like reference to Ramo Nakajima, a respected Japanese cult novel writer who often wore sunglasses.
 * His trademark technique Deep Purple is a reference to an English rock band with the same name. Moreover, the kanji for this technique makes reference to the famous song "Purple Haze", by the musician Jimi Hendrix.
 * During his fight with Leol, Morel creates a raft out of smoke to stand atop the water. This might be a reference to the famous song of the Deep Purple "Smoke on the Water".
 * His technique Smoky Jail's alternate name, "Jailhouse Rock", is a reference to Elvis Presley's famous song.
 * Likewise, his disciple Knuckle wears his hair in a pompadour, a hairstyle commonly associated with the singer.

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