In the desert kingdom of Arabasta, Tet and Hermes were doing everything in their power to hold Apollo back. Sand churned beneath their feet as they strained against him, the air heavy with heat and tension.
Hermes gritted his teeth, struggling visibly as he dug in his heels. "How is he so strong?!"
Tet clenched his jaw, muscles locked as he pushed back with effort. "You're the one that said we shouldn't use divinity," he growled, his voice tight with strain.
Apollo chuckled, utterly unbothered despite the two gods restraining him. "Don't worry, guys. I just wanna meet my brother-in-law, you know? Have a few drinks."
He dragged himself forward another inch, sand scraping beneath him as he continued casually, "Get to know him, you know, that kind of stuff."
Tet shot him a sharp look. "You swear you're not gonna kill him or inflict violence of any kind on his person?"
Apollo placed a hand over his chest, his expression suddenly solemn. "I, Apollo, God of Truth and too many other things to mention, swear I will not harm Portgas D. Ace."
Tet and Hermes exchanged a long look before slowly nodding to each other. With a shared sigh, they released their grip and let Apollo go.
Hermes folded his arms, watching him carefully. "What are you gonna do?"
Apollo stretched his shoulders, completely relaxed now. "I'm gonna talk to him and see what kind of guy he is." He tilted his head slightly. "And also… she's your sister, so why aren't you getting involved?"
His gaze shifted to Tet, and added. "She's also your niece and subordinate."
Tet blinked. "Wait… oh shit, she is." His eyes widened. "And you two are my nephews." He paused. "Holy hell. I have family."
Tet stared off into space, completely still, contemplating this overwhelming new information.
Hermes looked at Apollo, deadpan. "Great. You broke our favorite uncle."
Apollo winced slightly. "My bad. I thought he had realized that marrying Aunt Hestia made him family."
Hermes sighed and shook his head. "What do we do?"
Apollo was already turning away. "You deal with this. I'm gonna go meet our brother-in-law."
He headed straight for the tavern, disappearing into the crowd.
Hermes walked over, placed both hands on Tet's back, and started pushing him forward. "Come on, Uncle. Let's go."
------
Meanwhile, in the Lands Between, Harry carved his way through yet another set of ancient ruins, wielding spell and sword alike with practiced precision. Arcane light faded from the air as the final enemy collapsed at his feet, its body dissolving into ash.
Merlin clapped her hands together, a pleased smile crossing her face. "Well done, Harry. You've come a long way since we started."
Harry bent slightly, hands on his knees as he caught his breath, sweat and dust clinging to him. "Thank you, Professor, but I'm still only at a point where I can just barely hold my own."
Merlin nodded, her expression turning thoughtful. "That's the point of this game, Harry. To push you to your limits—and then beyond them."
She walked forward, stepping carefully among the fallen, and picked up a grimoire lying beside a corpse. Flipping through its pages with interest, she continued, "I do believe we've collected all the spells and incantations that can be obtained without facing all the game's bosses. While I'd like to get the whole set, we're unfortunately out of time. Classes start in a week, and we need to get your school shopping done."
She closed the book and added reassuringly, "And don't worry. As usual, I'll give you a copy of this spell once I've tweaked it to remove any negative effects. Can't be too careful, after all."
Harry straightened and nodded. "Right, Professor."
Merlin smiled again, though there was a spark of intrigue in her eyes. "Oh, and don't worry. I've talked to my boss about furthering your education outside of Hogwarts. So next summer, you'll be going somewhere very special to further your training."
Harry's eyes widened with excitement. "Really? Thank you, Professor. I can't wait."
Merlin's expression immediately sharpened, her tone firm. "Just don't let it get in the way of your studies."
Harry nodded quickly, standing at attention out of habit. "Yes, Professor."
-------
Back in the world of One Piece, Apollo scanned the noisy tavern until his sharp eyes settled on his target sitting alone at the bar. With an easy stride, he walked over and took the empty seat beside him.
"Barkeep, bring me a beer."
He casually tossed a coin toward the bartender, who caught it without looking. "Right away, sir."
Apollo turned his attention to Ace, who was focused on his food, and spoke bluntly. "I'm gonna cut to the chase. Take care of my sister, or I'll make your life a living hell."
Ace paused mid-bite, slowly turning his head to look at him. After a brief moment, he said, "You're Arty's brother?"
Apollo's mouth fell open slightly in shock. "She lets you call her Arty?" He blinked, then shook his head in disbelief. "Damn… she really does love you. But yeah, I'm her brother, Apollo."
Ace smiled faintly. "Awesome. She's told me a lot about you."
Apollo raised an eyebrow. "Nothing too embarrassing, I hope."
Ace scratched his cheek. "I could tell you that, but it would be a lie."
Apollo groaned. "Damnit." He sighed and leaned back. "Well, instead of threatening you, I came to hang out and get to know my new brother-in-law."
Ace chuckled. "We're not married yet, you know."
Apollo waved it off dismissively. "Oh, but you will be. Anyway, you nervous about being a dad?"
Ace didn't hesitate. "Oh, absolutely. I'm terrified."
Apollo's tone softened, losing its edge. "I wish I could tell you it's a piece of cake, and that eventually you'll stop being worried or scared, but the truth is you won't. Every time they're out of your sight, you'll worry about them. But at the end of the day, all you can do is your best."
Ace nodded slowly. "Thanks. That actually helps to hear."
"No problem," Apollo replied. "Oh, and we'll probably be handling the wedding planning on our end. My aunt is already really excited, so I wouldn't be surprised if half the work is already done by the time I get home."
Ace laughed nervously. "Well, that's comforting. Anything I can do to help with the preparations?"
Apollo thought for a moment. "Just give me a guest list."
Ace leaned back, counting on his fingers. "My brother Luffy, obviously. My Pops. Marco. Dadan. The folks at Windmill Village, maybe."
He paused, hesitation crossing his face. "Old man Garp too… but I doubt he'll come. I'm gonna invite him anyway."
Apollo nodded. "I'll give your brother's crew invites as well. Anything else?"
Ace frowned slightly. "Even if it's just to have him there in spirit, can you set a place for my brother Sabo?"
Apollo smiled faintly. "Sure, I can do that."
Ace exhaled. "Thanks. I appreciate it."
Apollo took a sip of his drink. "So, what are you doing next?"
"I'm gonna catch Teach," Ace said firmly. "And after that, I'm gonna track down the old man."
Apollo's expression hardened. "I'll tell you this once. If you go after Teach, you'll most likely end up in the hands of the Marines. Even with my sister's training, you're still at a disadvantage, since Blackbeard found one of the gold keys."
Ace's eyes widened. "You mean one of the mysterious keys that grant people powers and weapons?"
Apollo nodded.
"I'll be careful, then," Ace said, standing up.
Before he could leave, Apollo reached out and stopped him, placing a gold medal into his hand. The symbol of the sun gleamed on its surface. "Keep that on you always. If you're ever in trouble, it'll let me know, and I'll come running."
Ace tucked it into his hat. "Thank you, brother-in-law. I'll see you around."
With that, Ace walked out of the tavern.
Moments later, Apollo was joined by Tet and Hermes, who, for some reason, had a white-haired Marine tied up in a bundle beside them.
Apollo burst out laughing. "Why do you guys have a Marine captive?"
Tet shrugged casually. "He was about to interrupt your conversation. Anyway, how'd it go?"
Apollo nodded approvingly. "I like him. He seems like a good guy. I gotta get started on this guest list, though."
"I can handle that," Tet said. "But I overheard you say Blackbeard got one of my keys, huh? That doesn't bode well for Ace. The Marineford incident is probably still gonna happen, since the Navy seems adamant about doing their jobs despite the World Government no longer existing. Oh well. Worst case, I send a few people in to rescue him."
Apollo smirked. "Nah. I already took care of that. If he gets captured, I'll go."
------
Tet returned home to find Hestia, Vesta, Freya, Diana, Zoe, Artemis, and a woman he didn't recognize seated around a large table, deep in discussion as scattered papers and notes clearly marked wedding plans.
The stranger was a strikingly beautiful woman with long blonde hair tied neatly into a bun, golden eyes that carried a quiet warmth, olive skin, and a figure on par with Artemis. She wore a simple white dress trimmed in brown, elegant without being ostentatious.
Artemis looked up and smiled warmly when she saw him. "Uncle Tet, I don't think you've met my mother, Leto."
Tet blinked, then chuckled lightly. "Oh, now you're calling me uncle too? Anyway, it's wonderful to meet you, Lady Leto."
Leto inclined her head politely, her smile gentle. "Oh, just Leto, please. Thank you for looking after my children, Lord Tet."
Tet waved a hand dismissively. "It's no problem. What's going on?"
Hestia clasped her hands together, eyes bright. "We're getting ready for Artemis's wedding. It'll be held in a couple of weeks."
Tet froze for a fraction of a second. "A couple of weeks?" He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I'd better hop forward in time and grab that Ace. The Marineford War won't happen for another couple of months, and I'd rather Ace enjoy his wedding with all the Blackbeard stuff behind him."
Artemis tilted her head, curiosity flickering in her eyes. "By the way, Uncle, how come there isn't a date for yours and Aunt Hestia's—or Aunt Vesta's—weddings?"
Tet answered without hesitation. "Because unlike you, we don't have a baby on the way."
Hestia chuckled nervously, glancing aside. "Not for lack of trying, mind you."
Tet paused. "Huh?"
Hestia and Vesta both spoke at the same time, smiling far too innocently. "Nothing, dear."
Tet narrowed his eyes slightly, then shook his head. "Alright. Well, I've gotta go. I apparently have a lot of stuff to do now