You've probably noticed that Yoshihiro Togashi doesn't do "simple" anymore. If you were looking for a straightforward shonen fight in Hunter x Hunter 408, you likely walked away with a massive headache and a lot of questions about Kakin’s disturbing social hierarchy. This chapter, titled "Negotiation: Part 2," basically pulls back the curtain on Morena Prudo, and honestly, it’s much bleaker than anyone expected.
We’re past the point of just wondering who wins the Succession Contest. Now, we’re looking at the systemic rot that created someone like Morena. It’s heavy stuff.
Morena Prudo and the Carnival of Horrors
The biggest bombshell in Hunter x Hunter 408 is the revelation of the "Kakin Carnival." For years, fans speculated that Morena was just another illegitimate child of King Nasubi. That’s only half the story. She describes herself as "meat"—a term used for children born from a ritualistic, state-sanctioned cycle of abuse in Kakin’s remote villages.
Basically, the royals periodically descend on these villages to "party," which is a polite way of saying they commit horrific atrocities. The children born from these events are the "Carnival Orphans."
Morena wasn't just born into the mafia; she was a survivor of a literal human trafficking ring run by the previous Heil-Ly family. She eventually killed the "real" Morena to steal her identity. When she says "the real Morena is in my grave," she isn't being metaphorical. She’s explaining why she wants to burn the entire world to the ground.
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Can you blame her? It makes her nihilism feel less like a "villain trope" and more like a logical reaction to a world that treated her as a disposable object.
The Complexity of Nen Specialists
Togashi loves to tinker with his own power system. In Hunter x Hunter 408, we get a deep dive into how Specialists actually work, and it’s kinda fascinating. Morena explains that many Nen users are actually Specialists without knowing it. They spend years training in a secondary category—like Transmutation or Conjuration—only to realize later they’ve wasted their potential.
It turns out that Specialists are the wild cards because they don’t follow the standard hexagonal affinity rules. Her own ability, "Contagion," is a mess of different categories that only a Specialist could pull off.
We also saw:
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- Borksen’s intuition: She’s remarkably sharp, figuring out Morena’s past just by the mention of the Carnival.
- The 0.03% Statistic: The chapter mentions that true Specialists who understand their nature are incredibly rare.
- Water Divination: Morena notes that most people in Kakin don't even know about the water test, which is why so many Nen users there are "misaligned."
The Ship Goes Into Lockdown
Just when things were getting "chatty," Togashi flipped the script. Martial Law has officially been declared on the Black Whale 1. This changes everything.
Movement between the tiers is now strictly controlled. The Ben guards (Benjamin’s personal soldiers) are gaining even more authority. If you’re Kurapika, this is a nightmare. If you’re the Phantom Troupe, it’s an obstacle. But for Morena, it might just be the chaos she needs to move her pieces.
The announcement interrupted a tense moment between Morena and Borksen. Borksen was essentially being forced into a "choose or die" game, but the alarm gave her a temporary reprieve. Or a new kind of death sentence, depending on how you look at it.
Why This Chapter Matters for the Ending
People keep asking when the Succession War will end. With the declaration of martial law in Hunter x Hunter 408, the pace is finally starting to accelerate. We’ve had over 50 chapters of setup, and now the powder keg is lit.
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There are rumors that Togashi has scripted out the next 50 chapters. If that's true, we are entering the "climax" phase. The focus on Morena suggests she isn't just a side villain; she’s the ideological mirror to the Kakin Royals. While the Princes fight for a throne, she’s fighting to delete the system entirely.
What to Watch for Next
If you’re trying to keep track of the moving pieces after Hunter x Hunter 408, keep an eye on these specific threads:
- Tserriednich’s Training: He is a Specialist too, and his "Future Sight" is becoming a problem for everyone.
- The Phantom Troupe vs. Heil-Ly: The Troupe is looking for Hisoka, but they’re increasingly being drawn into the mafia war.
- Halkenburg’s Resolve: Is he actually as "righteous" as he seems? Many fans now suspect he participated in the Carnivals, even if unwillingly.
- The Martial Law Fallout: Expect the next few chapters to show how Kurapika handles the sudden restriction on his movements.
The world of Kakin is a nightmare wrapped in a royal silk ribbon. Hunter x Hunter 408 proved that Togashi isn't interested in a simple story about a boat trip. He’s writing a tragedy about the cycle of violence.
If you want to stay ahead, re-read the sections involving the 1st Prince Benjamin's guards. Their legal authority just peaked, and they aren't going to play fair now that the ship is officially in a state of emergency. Focus on the dialogue in the lower tiers—that’s where the real war is starting.