Morgan

**Morgan** (モーガン, *Mōgan*), also commonly known as "**Axe-Hand**" **Morgan** (斧手のモーガン, *Onote no Mōgan*), is a fictional character and antagonist of the *One Piece* series. He is an ex-Navy captain who was in charge of Shells Town and the first Navy officer of significant rank to be seen in the series. He had captured a swordsman named Roronoa Zolo for defying him. Before he can execute the swordsman, Luffy deflects the bullets from the firing squad with his rubber body.

Coby then inspires Luffy to punish Morgan for his cruelty. After a long fight, Morgan was finally defeated, and Shells Town is freed. The Navy stationed were kind enough not to report Luffy's piracy to Headquarters, and let him and Zolo go. After his defeat at the hands of Luffy and Zolo, he was stripped of his status that he had been abusing for three years, and was scheduled to be transported to Headquarters. However, Morgan escaped in transportation, and has disappeared.

"*You are duty bound to obey me!*"

—Morgan.

## Appearance & Biography

*Voice Actor*: Brett Weaver (English), Banjō Ginga (Japanese), Not Known (Italian), Not Known (Spanish), Not Known (German), Not Known (Finnish), Not Known (Korean), Not Known (French), Not Known (Latin American Spanish)

### Appearance

Morgan is a very tall and muscular, intimidating man with white-blonde hair and a steel jaw. He can also normally be seen smoking a cigar.

#### The Young Past Days

Five years ago, Morgan looked much like he does in the present storyline, except without the axe hand and the metal jaw. He had a slimmer build than he does in the present storyline, and his hair is seen being slightly longer than it is at this point of the story.

#### Pre-Timeskip

As his epithet suggests, his right hand is replaced by a huge steel axe, the handle of which seems to go right through his forearm. Like most marines of high rank in the series, he wears a large, billowing coat like a cape. His coat however does not have "Justice" on the back.

After he was arrested, he was put into prisoner clothes, which consisted of a white and blue striped long sleeve shirt and matching striped pants. He also had chains around his hands and legs.

#### Post-Timeskip

* Hair Color: White-Blonde
* Skin Color: Not Known
* Eye Color: Black
* Age: Not Known
* Birthday: April 13th
* Height: Not Known
* Weight: Not Known

## Personality

Prior to "capturing" Kuro, Morgan seemed to be a brave man who was not afraid of death. After his promotion, Morgan was corrupted by his power and became who he is today.

When Morgan is first introduced, he is governing over the small island of Shells Town, where his naval base is located. He is a cruel man who did little but spread terror on the town's citizens. He is ruling by fear, abusing his rank to make people pay taxes, and even going as far as killing his own men if they do not obey his commands.

He has a very spoiled son named Helmeppo, who is almost as bad at using his father's rank to get what he wants from the island's inhabitants. Although Helmeppo thought that he could get away with whatever he does because his father would protect him, in truth Morgan shows not even the slightest of fatherly love for Helmeppo. Morgan's lack of love goes as far as stating that before he punched Helmeppo, he never hit him because he's a foolish son not even worth hitting.

Morgan's obsession with rank is proven in his battle against Luffy, where, despite not being able to land a single blow on the rubber man (and having taken several), he would not accept defeat.

## Powers and Abilities

As a Navy captain, Morgan had command over lower-ranking subordinates and citizens. He heavily abused this authority to get what he desired. He was eventually stripped of his rank and authority.

Morgan was durable enough, as he is the sole survivor of Kuro's wrath five years ago, although the reason for his survival was later revealed to be a plot planned by Kuro. He also has knowledge of Devil Fruits despite their rarity in the East Blue, and saw through Monkey D. Luffy's rubbery body as a result.

### Weapons

In battle, Morgan has a massive axe installed in place of his right arm, which was strong enough to slash through an entire fence with one swing through a shock wave and create a small fissure in the ground.

## History

### Past

Five years ago, when Morgan was still just a mere chief petty officer, he and his crew attacked the Black Cat Pirates one night, only to incur the wrath of their captain, Kuro. Morgan was the only survivor on board of his ship, which only left him with a broken jaw and the loss of his arm. Refusing to beg for his life, Morgan challenged Kuro to bring him death. However, Morgan surviving the pirate's deadly claws was deemed impressive, and Kuro used Morgan as part of his plan to escape the pirate life. Morgan was hypnotized by Django into believing that he had captured Kuro (actually a look alike pirate), gaining him immediate fame, the rank of lieutenant commander and possibly setting him on the path to his current obsession with rank and power. While Kuro's assault broke his jaw, causing him to get his brace, it's unclear how or when he got his trademark axe hand.

## Synopsis

### Romance Dawn Arc

He was left in charge of a Navy base on an island. As a high ranking and famous Naval officer, none dared challenge his authority, not even his own men as he had a habit of punishing those who disobeyed him (even killing his own men).

This all changes however when Luffy comes to town to help Coby fulfill his dream, and possibly recruit Roronoa Zolo into his crew. After Luffy accidentally breaks a newly finished statue of Morgan, the captain immediately sets after him, (considering that he was about to have one of his men killed for just scratching the statue, this is rather humorous as it occurs just as he was about to do the deed) confronting Luffy in the courtyard of the Navy base. Morgan is defeated by Luffy without even landing a single blow, though he is finished off by Zolo as Luffy has to deal with Helmeppo holding Coby hostage.

### Diary of Coby-Meppo

Morgan was later seen in the series in a chapter title page mini-story, as a prisoner stripped of rank on Vice-Admiral Garp's ship, where both Coby and Helmeppo also happen to be serving. However, Garp had suddenly fallen asleep and was slashed by Morgan, who escaped the ship by using his own son as a hostage. Helmeppo disowned him shortly thereafter and returned to the Navy ship, leaving Morgan alone and drifting on the ocean.

### Django's Dance Paradise

He was seen again as a cameo in Django's Mini-arc taking a nap in the ocean as Django unknowingly passes him.

## Battles

### Canon

* Morgan vs. Kuro
* Morgan vs. Monkey D. Luffy and Roronoa Zolo

### Non-Canon

* Morgan vs. Monkey D. Garp
* Morgan vs. Helmeppo and Coby

## Anime and Manga Differences

In the anime, Morgan is seen in his prison cell at the 153rd Branch Navy Base, when a navy soldier of the same branch showed him Luffy's 30,000,000 berry bounty. This scene did not appear in the manga.

## Notes & Trivia

* When Morgan was explaining Devil Fruits to his men, he used two examples: the ability to breathe fire, and another to cause tsunamis, both of which belonged to two world-renowned pirates: the Four Emperors, Whitebeard, and his subordinate and son of the late King of the Pirates, Portgaz D. Ace.
* Oda intended to give him an onion-like hair style resembling his son Helmeppo and name him "Chop" instead of "Morgan", but the idea was soon discarded because of comment on the character as "Ugly".
* Morgan is the first Naval officer to be mentioned in the One Piece series.
* The word "**Möwe**", which appears on Morgan's metal jaw, is German for "seagull", which is the symbol of the Navy.
* Oda admitted that Morgan was based on a real-life pirate, Sir Henry Morgan, who also began his career as a law-abiding seafarer.
* "Captain Morgan" is a brand of rum.
* Oda explained in an SBS that had Morgan been a Navy on the Grand Line he would have held the rank of Lieutenant, as there is a three-rank difference between the Headquarters Marines and Auxiliary Navy (Navy stationed in one of the Four Blues).
* He is the first character in the series to call Luffy by his nickname, "Straw Hat