"Are you sure that those two can help keep that girl safe on this journey?" Dalton would ask as he looked at both Vivi and Usopp who decided to stay behind.
"Well, Morgan's both tough and stubborn enough to handle anything." Usopp mentioned; "Sanji might be a lech and a surly jerk but he's just as strong of a fighter…If Nami ends up in trouble then nothing's gonna stop either of them from going to help her."
"Speaking of…Sanji hasn't exactly been his usual self since Morgan woke up…I thought he would be happy that his friend is okay." Vivi mentioned; noticing that despite all of Sanji's attempts at trying to woo her and Nami, his disposition seemed to sour worse then it did with Zoro around when he saw Morgan back on the ship.
"I think…What happened on Little Garden could have gone better if Morgan had been there and Sanji's taken that to heart a little bit more then anyone else…especially after what could've happened to you and Nami." Usopp pointed out as he watched the snow fall outside.
Dalton would then walk back into the cabin with a look that suggested some good news; "If you want to make the trip, I heard that Kureha was in the next town over. We take a sled there and it'd be fast enough to still catch her." He opted as he saw both Vivi and Usopp brighten up at the prospect.
——Meanwhile, Further up the foot of the mountains——
"Don't worry, we'll get that doctor and make things right!" Morgan yelled over the howling wind as he pulled his hood back over his head and trudged through the snow with Nami on his back.
"You're going to need to do a lot more then talk, Morgan." Sanji grumbled as he kept up; "Remember, if we run into any fights up here, Nami's health takes priority so no fighting back even if it costs you your life." He warned; "Because the way you move and jerk about could make her worse."
"Sanji, you've been riding me on this all the way up. I promise that I won't get Nami in danger." Morgan groaned as Sanji once again fussed about.
"You got Nami in danger when you wouldn't come with us to Little Garden…" Sanji mentioned loudly enough for Morgan to hear, despite Morgan being his captain; the cook wasn't about to let him forget the fact that everyone got seriously hurt because of his hangover.
"Now REALLY is not the time for this, Sanji!" Morgan yelled back as he kept watch; "I said I was sorry and you don't believe me! I told you I don't drink as much as the average pirate and you don't believe me! What will it take for you to accept that I'm sorry?!" He would rant as the two were currently being watched from the trees by a hulking white figure.
"For you to-..Hold that thought…Looks like we got company…" Sanji grimaced as he saw more of the giant rabbits appear out of the snow with a territorial snarl on their faces.
"You're kidding…" Morgan squat his legs as he prepared to run. "Sanji, we can't fight them all with the storm getting worse!" He yelled out as he made a mad sprint forward and hopped over one of the swiping rabbits.
"You get her to the mountains but don't fight back! Remember, you've got Nami hanging on to you and if you fight or take a hit, she'll feel it or worse!" Sanji yelled as he delivered an upwards kick to one of the Lapahns and rushed to join Morgan who was currently trying to avoid every moving ball of white.
"Easier said then done…Looks like I'm gonna have to embrace the age old Pirate tradition…" Morgan thought to himself as he tried to focus the Haki that he could into his legs; "Sorry Nami…This is gonna be a little bumpy…Swift Style Kenpo: Rabbit Sprint!" He called out as he proceeded to jump across the snow, using the lunging Lapahns as stepping stones while also trying to keep it smooth for Nami as she rode on his back.
Sanji glowered at Morgan's necessary if not still rough handling and followed after him; "Damn it, I said be careful with her you brute!" He seethed to himself as he delivered another quick moving kick into a rabbit's head but stopped when he saw the Lapahn in charge start to bounce up and down, growling and leering at the trio in the meanwhile as the others quickly mimicked.
"Is this their way of getting mad? Because I'm not exactly in the mood for territory fights…" Morgan grumbled though his scowl reduced a little when he felt a rumbling under his feet; first it was a dull buzz and then out of nowhere, he could feel something wrenching his gut into a knot like when he had insulted Alvida into a blind rage.
Focusing his mind for the briefest of seconds to expand his Observation as much as he could to try and see what they were doing but all he could see ahead was a crashing wave of white.
"Wait…A wave of white?" Morgan thought to himself but the sudden loud BOOM that echoed through the mountain pass made him realise just what was coming and filled his lungs with air to get Sanji's attention; "SANJI! IT'S AN AVALANCHE! GET UP THE TREES! NOW!" He yelled out with a frantic tone as he rushed for the nearest and tallest tree he could find and began climbing up the branches.
With all the sour grapes that Sanji had about Morgan regarding things; he wasn't going to argue with the several tons of snow that threatened to smother them all as he hopped up the branches. Once he was at the top of the tree and could see Morgan holding on to Nami with one arm and using the other to grip the tree; Sanji could see the literal tidal wave of snow rumble down the slopes and realised that Morgan could've easily just dropped him in it if he had chosen to.
Before a sigh of relief could be made, the creaking of the trees started to make it aware that this wasn't a complete success as the mounds of snow pushed the group back down to the ground level. The tree trunks that were keeping the Straw Hats aloft and thicker then an elephant's leg were creaking, bending them back down towards the snowy rapids below…
Morgan heard his name being yelled as Sanji had propelled towards them like a rocket and pushed them both out of the trajectory with an arrow now sunk into his shoulder. "SANJI!" He would yell out to his crew mate as he tried to go after the falling cook to catch him, however even with his careful movements with Nami on his back; Sanji still fell and hit every branch before crumpling to the ground with a sickening CRACK!
The snowfall had stopped as Morgan climbed out of the tree and rushed over towards the collapsed Sanji; "Actions…Louder then words; Get…Get going…Take Nami to the doctor now!" Sanji grimaced before he finally passed out in the snow and begrudgingly left Nami in Morgan's full care.
Morgan silently nodded but he couldn't just leave Sanji in the cold; So after adjusting Nami to be carried on his right shoulder, he hoisted the unconscious Sanji up onto his back and over his left shoulder, "Heh…Talk about getting more challenge out of a trip to the doctor, just hang on…I'll get you two to safety!" Morgan thought to himself as he began his slower march through the snow towards the mountain.
A baby Lapahn yipped and whined as it tried to unbury it's mama out of the deep snow it got caught in, the cold biting at it's paws and the cold being dangerous even for a warmblooded animal. It's whimpering got louder when it was realising that they couldn't do much more but a fresh crunch of snow drew it's attention to the tired looking Morgan; remembering the man as one of the people who made the avalanche happen caused it to go into territorial mode: Baring its teeth and growling to try scaring him off.
Morgan watched the little one try to protect itself and it's mother; he felt sorry for it but he couldn't hang around with two people to get healed so he walked closer to it, ignoring the more louder growling and snarling from the smaller rabbit.
The baby Lapahn readied itself to be taken out as Morgan's outstretched hand reached toward it and flinched in fear but peeked over it's paw when he saw Morgan pull the bigger Lapahn out of the snow so it could recover.
"I don't want a fight, I've got people to protect right now." Morgan said sympathetically as he carried on trudging through the snow.
And towards a familiar looking man riding a hippo, clutching the reins with one hand and another raised towards the sky like he was ready to cast a divine spell.
"MAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHA! You out of town commoners have no clue here! The snow here is as dangerous as a Sea King, Chess! See if you can kick those birds out of their perch." Wapol sneered as he pointed at the group from atop his steed.
"At once, Lord Wapol." Chess obliged as he pulled back an arrow and aimed it towards Morgan who was trying to move away from them with careful sidesteps. "Hopeless…I am the best archer in Drum Kingdom, I can pin this arrow between that guy's eyes and get our king that woman as a trophy in one fell swoop." However before he could take the shot; A giant mass of white rose out of the snow in front of Chess with a deep growl and a menacing look in it's red eyes.
"Lapahn? But why don't they go after him? Not that it matters, Out of the king's way! Move it you rabid furballs!" Wapol demanded to the lone rabbit though he quickly came to regret it when he saw more and more popping up out of the snow including a larger and more intimidating looking Lapahn with it's baby on it's shoulder.
"Thanks little buddy." Morgan thought as he rushed past the others towards the now steep climb that was the mountain face. Now that he was face to face with the literal mountain; he had some doubts linger in his head as to whether he could do this or not but then snapped himself out of it as he realised what was on the line if he backed out; "Actions are louder then words indeed…" Morgan muttered to himself, laying both Sanji and Nami in the snow before stripping off his coat and gloves before systematically wrapping their arms around his neck and then secured the two incapacitated to him using both his coat and the wrap that tied Nami.
The winds started to howl louder while the snow got heavier as Morgan grit his teeth and sank his fingers into the cold rock, starting the long and arduous climb up. It was hard for him to maintain his focus since the biting cold was harsh on his now bare arms and hands but each new step upwards motivated him further.
——Years Ago——
"COME ON!" That same old Marine barked at them as he watched four young boys climbing up a cliffside with some heavy looking rocks strapped around their bodies; "The best way to train yourself to be a Marine is to push yourself farther then you can ever imagine you to! Break the limits that you have and force yourself into new territory that only the strongest and most capable of Marines could fathom!"
The only response that was close to an affirmation were the groaning as they strained their little muscles; So far Luffy was technically the furthest behind and dangling like a yo yo since being made of rubber didn't exactly correlate well to weight training, further up in third was Sabo; a kid with not just the rocks strapped to him but his trusty metal pipe and only a short distance from Ace who had already reached the halfway point in second place, though climbing over the ridge in the lead was a younger and more roughed up Morgan.
"Dang Moggy, you really have to show up your older brothers like that?" Ace grumbled but the smirk on his face showed that he didn't mind in the slightest. "So Sabo won 6, I won 7, Luffy and Moggy both won 8 times."
The old man grumbled as he snapped them to attention; "This isn't fun and games! This is training that'll help mold you three from little monsters into well respected Marine officers!" It wasn't the first time that Garp grizzled about the kids acting like….kids and it certainly wasn't going the the last time either.
"I already told you, Carp geezer! I'm gonna be a Martial Artist, not some stuffy Marine!" Morgan would argue back; Ever since Luffy reneged on his promise and asked to enlist, Morgan, Ace and Sabo became more of an unruly problem when it came to training.
Ace and Sabo burst out laughing as they visualised the large man with a giant fish for a head; much to Garp's displeasure in his attempt to scare the kids straight. "You brats waste your talents! Luffy and his powers will take him far enough to reach my position or even further then that! Ace and Sabo! you two would make fine Officers that could round up Pirates of big and small reputation alike! Morgan, your stubborn nature and your gift with martial prowess could have you standing with Luffy as joint Vice…Or even Full Admirals!" Garp ranted as he knew that these children could and potentially would surpass him eventually. "Instead of that, you condemn yourselves to piracy so eagerly! Unless you wish to see sense like Luffy does…This path will come back to bite you!" He would remark darkly
Morgan was thrust out of his reminiscence when his hand slipped from it's grip on the icy mountain, causing him to stifle a scream of pain as his fingers burned with the cold and his trail back down had a streak of red along with the white of the snow; "Just a little farther…All I need is to keep climbing…" He thought to himself as he bit through the pain of the biting winds and the sharp cold that jabbed his fingers on his way up.
Each hard grip into the rock got Morgan ever closer to the top while he tried to slow his breathing, it was only because of Garp's harsh training and his stubbornness that he was able to get as far as he could. The adrenaline and the cold numbing his system made him forget the weight of Sanji and Nami hanging on his shoulders; it was hard for him to give up but with one final heave upwards, Morgan pulled himself and his crewmates up onto the solid snow at the top of the mountain. With the Castle in clear sight: Morgan felt his body start to shut down since the vast majority of his body was now blue and frostbitten along with his heavily diminished energy.
"DOCTOR! DOCTOR! PLEASE…I NEED A DOCTOR! Just save them….I CAN'T LOSE MY FRIENDS LIKE THIS!" Morgan pleaded at the top of his lungs as he trudged towards the doors and used the last remnants of his stamina to yell and pound at the heavy doors to get someone's attention…But sure enough, the cold and the tiring climb took it's toll as Morgan slumped forward and passed out; the last thing he could see in his hazy eyes were the doors opening and something furry trotting over to him.