Hermes strolled into Tet's garden, hands tucked casually into his pockets as he strolled forward. only to find the God of Games sprawled out with his head comfortably resting in Hestia's lap. She sat cross-legged on the grass, a thick book open in her hands, sunlight glinting off her hair.
"Wow," Hermes drawled with a sly grin, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "One date, and you're already doing this?"
Hestia didn't even glance up from her page, though the faintest smile tugged at her lips. "We're just lounging together," she replied warmly, her voice carrying a gentle,cadence. "Besides, I'm enjoying it."
Tet cracked one eye open, a playful grin already on his face. "Yep. I'm pretty sure this is how I'm going to nap from now on." He closed his eyes again in exaggerated contentment.
Hermes chuckled, shaking his head. "I'd be disappointed in you if you didn't. Anyway, I came to ask a favor."
Without moving from his spot, Tet lazily raised a hand in Hermes' direction. "If I can do it without getting out of Hestia's lap, sure. And since I'm in such a good mood, I won't even make you play a game for it."
"Sweet," Hermes said, stepping closer with a satisfied smirk. "I want a new key for a couple of my boys—well, three of them, to be exact."
Tet tilted his head just enough to peek at him again. "Wait, you want a key for three of your boys… or you want three keys?"
"The first thing," Hermes clarified, waving his hand as if to brush off the difference. "Something that could help them hone their thieving skills."
"Oh? What for?" Tet asked, his tone light but with an amused glint that suggested he already had an idea.
Hermes suddenly found the sky very interesting. "Oh… no particular reason. I just want my boys to be sharp, is all."
"Sure… let's go with that," Tet said knowingly, his smile widening. With a casual flick of his wrist, a shimmering gold key materialized in the air. On its side, the silhouette of a raccoon head with a blue mask was emblazoned like a tiny crest. The key floated gracefully toward Hermes' outstretched hand.
"Up to three of your kids can participate in this—no more, and also no less," Tet explained. "This key will help develop a Master Thief, a Master Burglar, and a Master Hacker."
Hermes rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "And if they run into a situation where hacking skills aren't exactly useful?"
"The hacker," Tet replied "will also be proficient in making gadgets, as well as their utilization. Their intelligence will also increase, so there is nothing to worry about there."
"Works for me," Hermes said, flashing a grin before tucking the key away and taking off in a flash.
As the sound of his departure faded, Tet turned his gaze back up toward Hestia, smirking. "Does he really think I don't know what he's doing?"
Hestia closed her book and gave him a knowing, amused smile. "Just let him have it. It's part of the fun for him."
"Fair enough," Tet conceded.
She tilted her head, peering down at him. "And how long are you planning to use me as a pillow?"
"Till I die of old age," Tet said without hesitation.
"You're a god," she reminded him with a teasing arch of her brow.
"Oh… then I guess forever."
Hestia's lips curved into a fond smile. "You're lucky I like you."
Tet's grin turned smug. "I know. I wouldn't be trying my luck if you didn't."
She giggled softly, her fingers running lightly through his hair in a slow, gentle motion. "Don't you have something to do today?"
"I do," Tet admitted with a long, exaggerated sigh, "but I'm so comfy."
"I'm not going anywhere," Hestia assured him warmly. "Go do your job. I'll be here when you're done."
"Fine," Tet said at last, reluctantly pushing himself up. Stretching his arms above his head, he added with a mischievous glint in his eyes, "I need to cause a bit more chaos in the One Piece world anyway… but who to send?"
Tet leaned back slightly, a thoughtful grin tugging at his lips as he mused aloud. "Bill and Nico… no, they might exorcize Brook." He tapped his chin with one finger. "Ruby and Yang… no, they'd be fine against small fry, but they'd get stomped by a big shot."
He suddenly sat up a little straighter, eyes lighting up with a spark of inspiration. "Oh, wait—I know. This can be her first mission. I know she's probably dying to get off the bench, and I can send her old friend with her." A mischievous glimmer danced in his gaze. "Now I need four more, at least. I can think of one right off the bat that'll be a nightmare over there."
Tet tilted his head, running through possibilities in his mind, his smile widening with each mental move. "As for the other three… oh, I know—that'll work just fine. Yeah, I've got a plan now."
He stretched his arms lazily overhead, the expression on his face equal parts smug satisfaction and childlike excitement. "Alright, I'll have to drop some keys on the Straw Hats to keep their development going since I'll be interfering with some of their milestones… but that's fine." His grin turned sharper, almost gleeful. "I always welcome new players."
Meanwhile, in Elkia, Jibril was relaxing in the grand library, her wings faintly fluttering as she sat in a high-backed chair with a thick tome open before her. She was so deeply engrossed in its pages, her golden eyes scanning line after line with rapt fascination, that she didn't notice the soft hum of magic behind her.
A swirling, multi-colored portal shimmered into existence in the air, its edges rippling like liquid light. From within, an extremely long shepherd's crook extended slowly and almost comically, its curved end creeping toward her with exaggerated patience.
It slid around her shoulders in one smooth motion, hooking her neatly before she could react. In the blink of an eye, the crook yanked her backward into the portal, her startled gasp cut short as the swirling colors swallowed her whole.
The portal snapped shut a moment later, vanishing without a trace—save for the book she had been reading, lying open on the table, and a still-steaming cup of tea beside it, the faint curl of steam the only evidence she had ever been there.
Then, in the world of One Piece, one by one, pillars of light descended upon the world—two on Whole Cake Island, two in the Kingdom of Arabasta, two in Dressrosa, and then only one in the land of Wano.
Finally, in the skies above everything, a massive floating palace appeared. Anyone from Earth would instantly recognize it as the Jade Chamber from Genshin Impact, its grand architecture gleaming like a jewel suspended in the heavens.
Sitting at a table in the chamber's courtyard was Jibril, her majestic feathered wings folded neatly behind her chair, the faint shimmer of magic in the air around her. She leaned back with an air of practiced poise, golden eyes scanning her surroundings with a mix of scholarly curiosity.
Next to her sat three other powerful individuals.
One was an older gentleman with long brown hair pulled into a ponytail, his bright amber eyes calm and calculating. He sipped tea in unhurried elegance.
The second was a boy who looked about fourteen, with short black hair that extended into two slender braids on either side of his head, the ends dyed a soft green. His aqua-green eyes glimmered with a playful light, and a green beret sat casually atop his head.
The final individual was a young woman with long, whitish-blue hair streaked here and there with strands of lighter blue. Her eyes were heterochromatic—one a clear, light blue and the other a deep, oceanic dark blue—and her posture carried both grace and authority.
Then Jibril whined, her wings giving a faint, impatient flutter as she crossed her arms, tilting her head toward the others with a faintly petulant expression. "Why does he need me when he has all these monsters?"
Meanwhile, in Tet's realm,
Tet stared at what he had just done, and a slow, almost sheepish grin spread across his face as he lifted one hand to rub the back of his head and said."I may have overdone it,"