Before starting this chapter, I'd like to thank everyone who reads and supports this fic; I do the best I can with what I have. I know I make mistakes, like forgetting important things or my writing style, and that's something I want to mention now.
And that's the chronology of things, or more specifically, the dates. Before talking about this in this part of the fic, I would like to talk about how I handled the One Piece section.
Since this part started 22 years after the original story, a lot happened in between, and to make sure I didn't lose anything important, I had to create my own timeline of the events in the original story as well as the changes I was going to make—basically two timelines.
Despite that, and even having a calculator handy, I still forget important things and precise dates. I always had to go back to previous chapters to remember the protagonist's age since I couldn't quite recall how old he was. That character section at the beginning wasn't just for you but for me too.
This is thanks to my idea of following the dates and order of the original events. If I'm going to introduce a character into a story that isn't mine, I will try to alter the original material as little as possible, except for what I want to change; I don't know if that makes sense.
Now, what's happening in the One Piece arc is the same thing that happened in the Fate arc, and it will surely happen in the following arcs.
In fact, I have a timeline of the myths and legends of the Greek pantheon; the only one missing is Orion, but from research, I know he appeared between Perseus and Hercules. This is one of the reasons why I didn't want to mix more mythology into the story; it would complicate things too much to align dates, with the Egyptian pantheon being the only exception.
Now, to conclude, I'll say that I'm going to ignore the dates and events of the Greek pantheon from this chapter until this part ends, that is, when the Holy Grail arc begins, so I don't complicate things too much.
That's all for now; let's continue with the next chapter.
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While I was paying for the rooms where we were going to stay temporarily with the alms my father gave me—yes, alms, that's precisely what he said.
It was something like, "You look so dirty and malnourished. How could you be out here in the middle of the desert, making yourselves look so pathetic? Here's some money so you can buy something to eat and not waste it on something like that old man at the Temple of Hermes."
When I heard him say that, I had a sudden urge to punch him, but since I was tired and he had just saved us, I didn't feel like it.
Continuing from that, I started to reflect on what had happened there. I still remember when my father had managed to defeat that foreign god; it's something I'll never forget. And when I met Apollo, I thought I would be able to do the same, but I was wrong.
I just sighed at this; I'm still far from being able to face a god.
When I returned to the table where the two guys who had been bothering me were sitting—one for days and the other for less than an hour—I saw them quiet.
"I'm back. Did something happen? You're all so quiet," he said, his eyes narrowed.
"No, nothing. Nothing bad is going on. Just a man's conversation. You wouldn't understand, would you?" my father said, grabbing Orion's shoulder with enough force to knock a normal person unconscious, not to mention muttering the last part under his breath.
"Yes, that's right. A man's conversation. You wouldn't understand," said Poseidon's son quickly. He didn't look like himself, but rather like a little boy being bullied.
I noticed that Orion wasn't looking me in the eye anymore, which was strange. Before, he was so excited about marrying me, but now he doesn't even speak. It's like he's changed his personality. And I'm the woman, ironic.
At that moment, a guy arrived with the orders we had placed. I noticed there was a woman working as a waitress, but a burly man arrived at our table.
Dante quickly grabbed his plate and ate, entirely ignoring any kind of table manners.
"It's good, but I cook much better," he commented with a piece of meat in his mouth.
"You know, I'm the chef here," the man said, almost growling.
"Then I have even more reason to say it," he replied, eyeing his plate as if trying to see if there was a hidden secret in the food. The man just let out a low grunt and left. "What a grouch."
I stood there watching all of this; I'd forgotten how eccentric my father's personality can sometimes be.
"You know, he wouldn't have reacted like that if you hadn't said that," I told him.
"I was just telling him the truth," he answered.
"Yes, but what mattered wasn't what you said, but how you said it," I complained.
"I don't know what you're talking about. It's my way of letting her know she has a lot of work to do," he said eloquently, continuing to stuff his mouth with food.
I just rubbed the bridge of my nose at my father's antics.
Orion stood there, self-conscious, not touching his food, as if moving would be a death sentence.
"Well, let's change the subject. How's the family?" I asked him.
"Everyone's fine. There's nothing important to report, except for Helena," he said, finishing his meal.
"Yes, why?" I asked again.
"Not long ago, she joined an evil and malevolent group," he said, gesturing as if trying to scare me. I just stared at him blankly, and he coughed. "It's an influential group called the 27 Ancestors of the Dead Apostles."
(Note: I remember saying something about the dead apostles and Kiss-Shot being a vampire; well, forget that. I think it was a mistake, I think, because I don't remember what I wrote, but researching, these guys have existed for 400 million years or something like that, so when Dante arrived in this world, they were already around.)
"Hmm, that doesn't ring a bell," I said, trying to remember if I'd heard this name before.
"That's normal, since this group doesn't belong to any pantheon; they're scattered everywhere. A few months ago, she confronted the one who was in position number 6, replacing him in the group; this led a girl of about 14 years old, named Altrouge Brunestud, to come and see her. After a fight, they became friends, and she left with her," she finished her story.
"Then she left the house," I stated.
"Yes, he left just like you did, leaving your mother and me alone," he said, crocodile tears welling up before vanishing immediately, "which isn't so bad."
I just rolled my eyes at his final remark, while Orion remained as still as a mummy; I can only imagine what my father must have said to him while he was gone.
"Well, I'd like to thank you for saving us at the last minute," I said, emphasizing the last words.
"That's what a hero does: arrive at the last minute to save the day," he replied, placing a hand on his chest.
"But you're not a hero; you're a guardian," he said, trying to sound both nice and rude. "He's a dog of the gods."
"Yes, that rebellious hero phase is over; right now I just want to rest before the next crisis hits and I have to go back to work," he said, stretching across the table, showing he has absolutely no table manners. "But old habits die hard."
"Changing the subject, what will happen with Apollo? I don't think he'll stay put," I asked, uncertainly.
"He'll stay put, one way or another, whether it's for me or for Artemis; you know she loves you like you're her own daughter, so trust her to protect you." That didn't exactly put my mind at ease, since the gods have a habit of not keeping their word, something that must have been written all over my face, because Dante sighed when he saw me. "I'll probably go talk to the almighty god after this to stop Apollo from doing anything else crazy."
"Thank you very much," I said with a smile, which he returned, only to look at the statue.
"And what about you, son of Poseidon? Tell me, how old are you?" he asked Orion, who looked like he was just about to breathe.
"I'm 17 years old," he replied.
The salt fell silent.
My father and I stared at each other, unable to believe he was 17.
(Note: Since the story of Orion and Artemis took place after Perseus and before Hercules, Orion here should be quite young, around 30 or 40 years old when he died, but this is just my speculation, since, by my calculations, Perseus must have been a 6- or 7-year-old boy.)
...
Dante's POV
After my peaceful and perfectly normal practice with my daughter and her pet, I went straight to Zeus's chambers, where many familiar gods were gathered.
"The one you've been looking for has arrived, since I'm the life of the party," I said, opening the door and entering.
When I stepped onto Zeus's throne, Apollo was already there, crying to his daddy, who stopped when he saw me.
"Youuu," he said hatefully, glaring at me.
Artemis was also there, slapping her face; it must be because of Apollo and his babyish behavior. Additionally, Hera, Athena, Ares, Dionysus, and Hermes were present.
"I see you've arrived. We were just talking about you, Dante," Zeus declared, staring at me intently.
"I'm not surprised," I replied, only to stand next to Apollo, much to his annoyance.
I looked at the others and honestly didn't think they'd all come here just to hear Apollo rant about what I'd done; something must have happened.
"Is it true you attacked Apollo down in the underworld?" Zeus asked.
"Yes, I did," I said honestly.
"Come," I told them, "now you must punish him," Apollo said.
"Shut up, Apollo; he only did it to defend Libra; if you hadn't done that stupid thing, he wouldn't have acted," Artemis defended me, to which Zeus narrowed his eyes at Apollo.
"I think you're omitting that detail," the thunder god said.
Apollo just swallowed. They then forced him to tell the whole truth, detail by detail.
Ares was pleased to hear how Libra had fought the sun god using only a bow and a few other things.
"To be perfectly honest, I can accept him sending men to kill my daughter since she can defend herself, but for a god to go and kill her directly is another matter," I stated, looking directly at Zeus. "Wouldn't you protect your children, especially your daughters, as much as possible?"
I tried to see the protective side of the god of thunder; after all, he allowed his daughters to remain virgins for their sake and to avoid any forced marriages he could have arranged to gain favor and allies.
Zeus simply shook his head and looked at Apollo.
"This time you've gone too far," she declared, to which Apollo could only lower his head. "I hereby declare that you cannot touch or directly interfere in any way with those two," referring to Libra and Orion.
Apollo could only swallow his pride and lower his head.
Artemis even forced him to swear by the River Styx, something he initially refused, but with his older sister's warnings, he finally gave in.
I watched all this unfold as a spectator; it was best not to interfere in divine matters.
"With that, we conclude this matter and will return to what we left off with; you may go," Zeus announced, looking at me.
I simply nodded and left; I'm sure I know what they'll discuss later.
Before leaving, I noticed Athena and Hera exchange a glance and nod, something everyone else overlooked.
That gave me a bad feeling, but since I had to leave, there was nothing I could do.
...
"So a god and some other creatures are causing chaos on the border," I summarized what Artemis had told me.
"Something like that; eventually, my father and the trickster god will go to see what's going on," she said, adjusting her bow and resting her head on my shoulder.
We both remained in comforting silence.
"And what are you going to do now?" she asked, looking me in the eyes.
I just sighed.
"Hera asked me to go to her temple to fix something."
Artemis narrowed her eyes.
"I don't like that, especially since my father's already left. What does she want with you?" she asked.
"No idea. I have a bad feeling about it too, but I have to go even if I don't want to," I replied, kissing her lips before leaving.
...
When I arrived at Hera's abode, a separate place from Zeus's that the goddess used when she wanted to be away from her husband, I felt a sense of danger, but it vanished as quickly as it came.
"It must be my sixth sense," I wondered as I tried to shoot webs like Spider-Man, which sadly didn't work.
As I passed by, I didn't sense anyone, only the goddess in her chambers, literally in her bedroom.
When I entered, a very peculiar and hypnotic scent reached my face; there I saw the goddess in a suit that covered her entire body rather loosely.
You could say she was fully clothed, but the style of the suit made it completely transparent, revealing her beautiful skin; the only things I couldn't make out were her nipples and vagina.
When I saw her, her mouth fell open in shock; I hadn't expected a scene like this.
"I see you've arrived, Dante; come here," she said seductively.
At that moment, I didn't know what to do; I couldn't think straight. In fact, for a moment I thought about turning around and leaving, but my body wouldn't move.
Then it dawned on me: it was the scent, the fragrance. I saw the candles; I sensed the energy and divine power of Dionysus.
Before I knew it, Hera was already beside me, guiding me to sit down. She took the opportunity to sit down herself and press her large breasts close to my face.
This was dangerous. I couldn't think straight; my body wasn't responding as I wanted.
"Why?" I could only manage to say with great difficulty.
"Isn't it obvious? You drive me crazy. From the first time I saw you, I was unable to get you out of my head. When I close my eyes, I think of you. I even stopped caring about my would-be husband's escapades because of you. I only think of you, and my life revolves around you. You have no idea how angry and frustrated I am that other bitches have you, but since my husband isn't here, we'll have our fun together until he gets back." She finished her story before giving me an intense kiss.
This is bad, horrible. It wasn't the first time a crazy woman had raped me; at this point in my life, it's commonplace, at least it was until I met Kiss-shot. But there was a problem here: this was Zeus's wife, which meant only one thing. Death.
(Note: Great Hera, learning from her husband, having non-consensual sex with the other party).
Hera took everything off, standing completely naked in front of me. I could only stare, somewhat stunned, almost accepting my fate.
I was going over everything important. Find Libra and quickly remove her from the Greek pantheon, warn Helen, grab Kiss-shot, and leave before Zeus returned.
Hera easily undressed me as well, standing in front of my penis and starting to play with it.
Despite the situation, I couldn't prevent an erection, which Hera took advantage of to start giving me a hand while she masturbated herself.
After a few minutes, I got up and threw myself onto her bed; I lay on my back, while Hera was on top of me.
She took my penis and aligned it with her vagina, slowly lowering it until it was inside her.
"Oh, Dante, this feels so good," she said with great bliss and madness.
The worst part is that I'm not feeling anything; Dionysus's drug has left me so numb that I can't feel anything. I can't speak or move. So I'm enjoying this.
The goddess of marriage, who could now be the goddess of infidelity, began to move her hips slowly, gradually increasing the speed.
I could hear her moans, but I couldn't quite make out what she was saying. I couldn't feel anything, literally, and my vision was already being affected. It infuriates me that I can't hate Dionysus, since he hasn't done anything; just by existing, he creates chaos.
"What the hell?" I heard a male voice say.
At this, Hera stopped dead in her tracks, staring in horror at her bedroom door.
With all my might, I did the same and saw Apollo standing there, watching everything with horror.
"What are you doing here? Athena was supposed to be guarding the entrance," I barely heard Hera whisper.
Before I knew it, the whole place exploded, sending me flying.
The impact, along with the pain and being ejected from that place filled with aphrodisiacs and drugs, slowly restored my motor skills and senses.
"Hehehe, even if I want to find you, you have no idea what will happen to you and everyone following you when my father finds out what you've done," Apollo said somewhat manically.
I felt Apollo's punch land in my stomach, sending me flying.
Once I hit the ground, I felt the effects of the drugs disappear from my body, thanks to that blow. Thank you, Apollo.
The sun god continued walking slowly toward me, thinking I was still under the influence of the drugs.
Just as he was about to strike me on the head, I dodged it, got up, and, using all my strength combined with Haki and magic, sent Apollo flying far from Olympus, watching a small trickle of ichor seep from his face.
Without wasting a moment, I ran to where Kiss-shot was; once I arrived, I saw her sitting on the throne.
She gave me a strange look when she saw me injured and naked.
"Kiss-shot, Hera," I tried to say, but she interrupted me.
"I know, I felt it from here; I think it's time we left," she declared, and I breathed a sigh of relief.
Being soul-bound, each of us somehow knows the other's condition; she must have sensed I was out of my mind, but she didn't intervene since there was no reason to go there; it was better to end it all and escape unnoticed than to cause a scene.
I didn't like the idea of abandoning Artemis or Medusa, but I had no way of taking them with me.
I quickly grabbed the clothes Kiss-shot threw me, got dressed, and when I was ready to go out and look for Libra, I ran into her.
"Do you think you can escape me?" she said calmly, with a seriousness mixed with a kindness that felt unnatural.
Athena stood before me, her hands behind her back. I hadn't noticed her because I'd created a magical barrier around us.
Damn it, I acted quickly, pulling out my bone sickle, but it was my mistake. Hespheus appeared to the side, and with a blow of his hammer, he knocked my sickle away, only for Athena to reveal what she held in her hands and hurl it at Kiss-shot and me.
I recognized it almost instantly: Pandora's Box.
The last thing I saw before being sucked in along with Kiss-shot was Athena's victorious smile.