Artemis traveled alone through the world of One Piece. She had grown to love this world despite its flaws and had found genuine enjoyment in fighting pirates and the occasional Marine. Most recently, she had encountered a rather curious individual she'd grown fond of. He had neck-length black hair and sharp black eyes, and he wore a pair of black shorts with orange belts, sturdy black boots, and an orange hat with goggles resting on it.
He spoke animatedly, a grin spreading across his face as he gestured with his hands. "Me and my brother Sabo had to pull my brother Luffy out of the crocodile's mouth."
He laughed at the memory, shaking his head before looking back at her. "So, what about you, Arty? You said you had a brother too."
Artemis smiled softly, her eyes warming as she answered. "I have a few brothers, but I'm closest to my twin. And like you, I've had to save him from many dangers in the past. But Ace, tell me—we've been traveling together for a couple of months now, but you haven't told me what your goal is."
Ace's expression shifted, the easy smile fading as his tone grew serious. "I'm out to catch a traitor. He killed one of my crewmates, then ran off."
Artemis frowned slightly, concern creasing her brow. "What will you do when you catch him?"
Ace didn't hesitate. "I'll take him back to Pops to face judgment."
Artemis let out a quiet sigh, her gaze lingering on him. "With your strength, I worry if you'll be okay."
Ace looked mock offended, placing a hand over his chest. "Hey, what's that supposed to mean? I'm plenty strong."
Artemis crossed her arms, a smug smile tugging at her lips. "And yet, you've never beaten me in any of our competitions."
Ace scoffed, pointing at her. "Oh, just you wait. I'll beat you eventually."
Artemis's smile widened with intrigue. "How about a game?"
Ace blinked,caught off guard. "Huh? What kind of game?"
Artemis leaned forward slightly, her eyes gleaming. "A simple game of tag for the next forty days and forty nights. If you can catch me without using any Devil Fruit powers—just your own speed and skills—I'll make you stronger, and I'll give you a special reward."
Ace raised an eyebrow. "What kind of reward?"
Artemis smirked knowingly. "You can only find out if you win."
Ace sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Alright, I'll play your game."
Artemis nodded once, her tone firm but playful. "To make things fair, I shall only use my physical abilities and my skills. Now, to say you understand and agree to the rules, you must raise your hand and say aschente."
Ace gave a quick nod. "Got it."
At the same time, Artemis and Ace both raised their hands and said loudly, "Aschente."
-----
In the guild hall, Tet suddenly felt it. Two people, in the same moment, had spoken the word, and in that instant his power responded, unseen threads snapping into place as it bound them to the game.
A slow smile spread across his face, equal parts curiosity and amusement, as he spoke aloud. "Artemis, huh. Interesting. Very well, Artemis. If you wish for your game to be binding, then so be it. I just hope you know what you're doing."
------
Ace and Artemis stared each other down, neither making a move, the tension between them thick enough to taste.
Suddenly, Ace lunged forward, making a grab for Artemis.
She reacted instantly, leaping upward and landing with one foot squarely on his head, driving him straight into the sand with a sharp impact. Without missing a beat, she dashed off between two palm trees, giggling as she vanished.
Ace hopped back to his feet, sand flying as he turned and ran after her, shouting, "Damn it! Just you wait! I'll catch you!"
Not long after, Ace found Artemis sitting casually atop a large boulder towering over him. She stared down at him with a teasing smile and calmly took off her boots and coat.
"Oh, you finally made it," she said lightly. "And here I thought I'd have time for a quick swim."
At her taunt, Ace let out an annoyed "Grrrr," scrambling up the rock after her—
Only for Artemis to somersault cleanly over him, landing lightly on her feet on the ground below before sprinting away once more.
Ace chased after Artemis futilely for the rest of the night and, after a brief rest, did the same the next day.
By day ten, he had removed anything on his person that might be weighing him down, except his shorts. Artemis, meanwhile, had changed into nothing but a tank top and shorts. Ace chased her all over the island, and she would always deliberately stop and let him catch up, just to mess with him. One time, she even leaped over his head and somehow took the time to write the word slow on his face before she landed.
Ace was still having trouble figuring that one out.
By day fifteen, Ace had started trying to use traps. No matter how well put together or carefully hidden they were, Artemis always avoided them with casual ease. Sometimes, she even tricked him into them.
On day twenty, Ace woke up to find heavy rocks tied to his limbs and a massive boulder secured to his back. Artemis stood nearby, barely holding back laughter as she teased, "It's a penalty for not being able to catch me yet."
Ace groaned. "No fair. This wasn't in the rules."
Artemis tilted her head innocently. "But there's also no rule against it."
She stepped right in front of him, close enough to touch. Ace tried to grab her, only for her to casually dodge, stick her tongue out at him, and dash off once more.
Ace straightened and did his best to chase after her despite the tremendous weight dragging at his body.
By day twenty-five, Ace had gotten used to the weight, so Artemis made it heavier.
By day thirty, the same thing happened again.
By day thirty-nine, Ace was able to run as fast as he could before the rocks were added, even while wearing them. Seeing that, Artemis smiled.
At dawn on the fortieth day, Ace woke up to find the rocks gone.
"Oh," he said, blinking in confusion, "is my penalty over?"
Artemis smirked. "Today's the last chance. I didn't want you to complain about it being unfair."
Ace grinned. "Well, isn't that generous of you, Arty?"
He dashed straight at her, moving at a speed that surprised even himself. He missed her—but only by a hair.
"Finally," Artemis said with clear excitement, "you're fast enough to be a challenge."
She dashed off—
Only to be startled when Ace suddenly appeared right in front of her.
She jumped back, narrowly avoiding capture.
The real chase was on.
The two ran all over the island, pushing themselves harder and harder, the pursuit lasting until dusk. Eventually, Artemis began to tire. She had promised to use only her physical abilities and skills, because of that her energy was not limitless.
Such was the terrifying power of the God of Games.
Anyone who invoked his power was forced to obey the rules, no matter how strong they were. Gods were no exception.
Not seeing Ace anywhere, Artemis allowed herself a brief moment to rest—
Only to widen her eyes in shock as the ground beneath her feet began to shake.
Ace burst out of the sand like a bullet, and before Artemis could react, he grabbed her and brought her down with him, pinning her beneath his weight.
"When?" she demanded. "How?"
Ace grinned breathlessly. "Since day fifteen, I've been digging this tunnel. When you went off to get us food, I kept working. It took a lot of effort to keep you from noticing. Thankfully, you were so used to me digging pitfalls that you didn't bother checking any of them out."
Artemis stared at him, then groaned. "Oh, you ass. Those were decoys."
Ace smirked. "Yep. Guess I win."
Artemis sighed. "I guess you do. Go to the campfire and wait until I call you over."
Ace nodded, pushing himself to his feet. "Okay. I need a breather anyway."
Artemis turned and walked through the palm trees, disappearing from sight.
------
When night fell and the full moon shone brightly in the sky, Artemis called Ace over. He made his way through the trees toward the spring, guided by moonlight and the soft sound of water.
There, he found Artemis sitting on a bearskin rug, her long auburn hair loose around her shoulders, her body covered only by a thin blanket. She looked up at him, moonlight reflecting in her silver eyes, and slowly held out her hand, beckoning him closer.
Ace froze for a moment, staring into her shining gaze, and in an almost trance-like state he walked toward her. Artemis let the blanket slip from her shoulders, revealing she wore nothing beneath it. She reached out, took his hand, and gently guided it to her chest.
Ace leaned closer, his breath unsteady, and Artemis wrapped her arms around him, pulling him in. Their lips met in a deep, unguarded kiss, the world beyond the spring fading away.
After that, the two lost all restraint, surrendering to the moment beneath the moonlight, beginning what would become the longest night either of them had ever experienced.
-----
The next morning, Ace woke to find Artemis lying on top of him, her warmth and weight grounding him in the quiet aftermath of the night. Seeing that she was already awake, watching him with calm silver eyes, he spoke softly.
"I'm not complaining about last night, but why me, Arty? Do you like me?"
Artemis didn't look away as she answered, her expression open and sincere. "I do like you, Ace. In fact, I might even be falling for you. But last night was about rewarding you, and if I'm being honest, it was a reward for me too."
Ace blinked, curiosity crossing his face as he shifted slightly beneath her. "How so?"
Artemis's gaze softened, her voice steady but weighted with long-held thoughts. "For many years now, I've wanted children of my own, but due to circumstances, I wasn't able to. Recently, that changed. And a few months back, a dear friend mentioned that if I were ever to have children, they'd grow to be very skilled and powerful. Ever since then, I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. But I needed the father to be someone I found worthy, someone who was strong and brave, but most of all, had a good heart."
Ace turned his head away slightly, his voice quieter, uncertain. "Then you got the wrong guy."
Artemis cupped his face gently, guiding him to look back at her as she met his eyes without hesitation. "Oh, I can assure you, I most certainly did not."
Staring into her eyes, Ace didn't know why, but he started to believe her. A sense of calm settled over him, and for the first time in a long while, he felt completely at peace.
------
Ace finished getting ready to set sail, making the final checks on his boat before turning back toward Artemis. He hesitated for a moment, eyes lingering on her as the ocean breeze stirred.
"Will I see you again?"
Artemis placed her hands on her hips, fixing him with a firm frown that carried far more weight than it looked. "You're not getting away from your responsibilities that easily. The next time we meet will be when our children are born."
Ace let out a nervous chuckle, scratching the back of his head. "How the hell do you know it's gonna be more than one?"
Artemis gave a brief, clearly forced cough, turning her head just slightly. "Um… women's intuition."
Ace blinked, then nodded slowly. "Okay. Then how will I find you?"
Artemis's expression softened into a confident, knowing smile. "Don't worry. I'll find you first—or my brother will, whichever comes first."
Ace laughed nervously, swallowing as he stepped back toward his ship. "Alright. Bye, Arty."
With that, he set sail, the ship pulling away from shore as the wind filled its sails. Artemis watched silently until Ace disappeared beyond the horizon.
Only then did she straighten, space warping around her as she teleported away, returning to Tet's realm in a shimmer of divine light.
-----
In Tet's realm, Artemis found Tet and Hestia waiting for her, both staring at her with smug grins that made her sigh in exasperation.
"Yes, I did it. Yes, I fell in love. Yes, I might marry him. And yes, I'm aware that one of the children I'm pregnant with is the God Slayer you promised a new life to."
Tet's eyebrows shot up, his expression a mixture of surprise and mild irritation. "Wait… how do you know that?"
Artemis tilted her head, her silver eyes calm but firm. "Because I asked Uncle Hades to give her to me months ago."
Tet leaned back slightly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well… on one hand, I'm glad that's off my plate. On the other hand, I'm a little upset that no one asked me first."
Hestia rolled her eyes, a playful smile tugging at her lips. "Oh, darling, let it go."
Before Artemis could respond, Hestia latched onto her in a tight embrace, her voice full of delight. "My little niece is having babies!"
Apollo, who had been walking by, froze in shock for a brief moment before straightening his posture. "Well… I'm gonna go get my bow and go somewhere and do something. Don't worry about me."
Hestia watched him stride away, shaking her head with an amused sigh. "Tet, handle that, please."
Tet groaned and rubbed his temples. "On it."
With that, he sprang into motion, chasing after Apollo as he disappeared from view.
(Authors Note: Hopefully you all enjoy this chapter I've been thinking about who to set artemis up with for awhile and ace was my choice )