Just as Charlotte was about to recount Dak's illustrious deeds, Dak raised his hand to stop her. Although he was curious about how Alliance City had transformed in the future, he felt it was better not to know too much about what was to come.
"Lord First Alliance Leader, you haven't given me your autograph yet," Charlotte said with a hint of disappointment.
"Oh, sorry, I forgot. You're the first person to ask me for one," Dak replied.
Many admired Dak, but no one had ever asked him for an autograph. It wasn't that people didn't want one; it simply hadn't occurred to anyone as a form of memorabilia. In this era, the culture of asking for autographs or taking photos with idols hadn't really taken root.
"Really?! That's awesome! Wahaha, then you'll definitely remember me, right, Lord First Alliance Leader?" Charlotte beamed.
"Yes, I will," Dak assured her.
The first fan to ask for his autograph—Dak figured he wouldn't forget this moment for at least the next ten years.
Charlotte giggled but remained in place, fidgeting nervously, seemingly unable to relax in Dak's presence.
"Where do you want me to sign?" Dak asked. His office was equipped with marker pens, as Robin had purchased all kinds of office supplies.
"Here," Charlotte said, pointing to her smooth, white thigh.
Dak was taken aback. He hadn't expected that in just a hundred years, kids would have become so... open.
"Alright," Dak said, not feeling particularly embarrassed.
He just hoped Sanji wouldn't find out, or else the cook would surely be green with envy.
Charlotte moved to stand in front of Dak, sitting down on his desk and placing one leg on his chair.
"Please, Lord First Alliance Leader," she invited.
"..."
Dak considered himself a man who had weathered many storms, but he had to admit that girls from a century later were something else. This one, in particular, seemed born to be a secretary.
Shaking his head to clear away errant thoughts, Dak carefully signed his name on Charlotte's thigh, trying to avoid any unnecessary contact.
'Dak.'
Click.
As he finished writing the first character, the office door swung open.
Both Charlotte and Dak turned to look at the doorway, where none other than Robin stood—the very person who had purchased the marker pens.
Technically, Robin was Dak's actual secretary.
"..."
Dressed in a business suit, Robin glanced at the scene before her. Her mind instantly provided a narration: Pervert.
"Uh, well..."
Before Dak could finish his sentence, Robin had already shut the door.
"..."
Dak and Charlotte exchanged silent glances.
"My autograph~," Charlotte reminded, still intent on getting Dak's signature.
Left with no choice, Dak finished writing the rest of his name. He was beginning to realize that Charlotte might be the kind of obsessive fan who would attend his hypothetical concert in a wedding dress.
"I never knew Nico Robin was so beautiful in her younger years," Charlotte said with a giggle, admiring the autograph on her leg. She pointed to her shirt, adding, "Could you sign here too?"
"Huh?"
"This one will wash off after a bath, so I want one on my clothes too."
"Alright."
You're something else, kid.
Dak signed his name on Charlotte's shirt, choosing the shoulder area.
"How do you know about Robin?" Dak asked, surprised to find that Robin's name was still known a century into the future.
"The Nico family are the official historians of the Pokémon Alliance. They've been record-keepers for generations, starting with Olivia and continuing through..."
"Alright, I get it," Dak cut her off, uninterested in hearing the names of Robin's descendants.
However, the mention of a "historian" position did give Dak an idea. How could the Alliance not have its own official historian? He'd have Robin take on this role as well.
"Lord First Alliance Leader, do you have any other questions?" Charlotte asked eagerly, her eyes bright with excitement. She seemed ready to divulge all sorts of information about the future.
"Hmm..." Dak looked at the girl. It seemed that if he didn't let her talk herself out today, she'd likely go around blabbing to others later. He decided to ask something that wouldn't impact the future too much.
"In your time, what generation of Alliance Leader is it? Don't tell me the current Leader's name," Dak inquired. Since Charlotte called him the First Alliance Leader, there must at least be a Second Alliance Leader.
"We're up to the Fourth Alliance Leader now," Charlotte replied, still sitting on Dak's desk, her legs swinging slightly.
The girl was wearing shorts, so almost her entire leg was exposed, shining white under the light.
"In just a hundred years, you're already up to the fourth generation?!"
Dak's eyes widened. He hadn't expected that.
On average, each Alliance Leader only held the position for about 25 years. This would have stunned Hiruzen if he heard it.
When Hiruzen passed the mantle to the Fourth Hokage, Minato, he had already served as the Third Hokage for 30 years. After Minato's death, Sarutobi took up the role again for another 12 years.
In total, Hiruzen held the title of Hokage for 42 years. During Minato's tenure, he was effectively a puppet, with Sarutobi still wielding actual power.
"Yep, that's right. The Second and Third Alliance Leaders didn't serve very long because they were ousted by the other high-ranking members of the Alliance. They were too incompetent to handle the Alliance's affairs. Stability only returned when the Fourth Leader took over."
"..."
Dak was taken aback.
Would he really have chosen such fools to be the Second and Third Alliance Leaders?
No, that was unlikely. From what he knew, it wouldn't make sense for him to appoint someone incompetent.
Alliance Leaders were elected through votes by the high-ranking members of the Alliance. It must have been Robin, Monet, Garp, and the others who made a short-sighted choice.
"By the way... what are your parents' names?" Dak asked, looking at the blonde girl in front of him. His curiosity was piqued.
He wondered what interesting circumstances had led to the creation of a name like Uzumaki D. Charlotte.
Knowing this shouldn't affect the future—he just needed to keep it to himself.
"My father is Uzumaki Boruto, and my mother is Portgas D. Aoi," Charlotte replied.
"???"
Dak's mind suddenly went blank. He felt he shouldn't have asked.
What?
Boruto and Aoi ended up together?
Aaaaaah!
Also, that Portgas... If Dak remembered correctly, wasn't there only one person with the surname Portgas across the three worlds?
Wait, no, this was a hundred years later. Charlotte would be Naruto's great-granddaughter and Ace's great-granddaughter, right?
"Hehe, I'm pretty amazing, you know, Lord First Alliance Leader."
"Huh?"
Dak hadn't fully recovered, and he instinctively responded in confusion.
"Although I can't do much on Pokémon Island, I possess the Byakugan, the Sharingan, and even Conqueror's Haki in other worlds. I also know Shadow Jutsu and can transform into a mermaid."
"???"
Dak's mouth fell open as he stared at the sweet, innocent-looking girl in front of him. He had no idea what kind of anomaly he was dealing with.
Uzumaki bloodline, Hyuga bloodline, Uchiha bloodline, Portgas bloodline, Nara bloodline, mermaid bloodline.
Holy...
"Stop, stop, let's not go down this path," Dak said, waving his hand.
He vaguely remembered Magellan mentioning that this girl's Pokémon had been provided by the Alliance.
He had initially thought Charlotte was just an ordinary Alliance member's child, but he hadn't anticipated this...
This had nothing to do with ordinary people.
"Is there anything else you want to ask me, Lord First Alliance Leader?"
"Uh... In your era, can Pokémon Mega Evolve?"
"Of course! It was you who had the Life God and Destruction God create Mega Stones and Key Stones for Mega Evolution, wasn't it?"
"..."
Dak was silent for a moment. He did have such an idea, but he hadn't planned to implement it in the short term. "Are you planning to use Mega Evolution in this tournament?"
"No, I'm not capable of that yet..."
Charlotte shook her head in disappointment.
It left her feeling downcast. Even though she could participate in the first Pokémon Tournament, she felt it was a regret that she couldn't compete in a stronger form.
"Oh, it's fine. The trainers of this era have relatively simple command skills and battle tactics. With your strategies from a hundred years in the future, you shouldn't find it too difficult."
Dak waved his hand, feeling a slight sense of relief.
If Charlotte could Mega Evolve her Pokémon, she would be a disruptive force in the first Pokémon Battle Tournament.
"Lord First Alliance Leader~" Charlotte suddenly called out, twisting her body slightly.
"Hmm?"
A question mark appeared over Dak's head.
"Would you like to go out with me?" she asked.
"... We're over a hundred years apart. Why would you even think of such a thing?" Dak exclaimed.
This was insane.
Dak sighed, waving his hand dismissively. Charlotte clearly had a "face fetish + fangirl + love-struck" problem.
It was strange enough that she wasn't panicking about time travel but rather wanted to enjoy herself more in the past.
"Hehe, just kidding. I already have a boyfriend."
"What's his name?"
"Kirigaya Kazuto."
"... Oh."
Dak paused, feeling like he had stumbled upon something monumental.
Then again, maybe not. Perhaps there were people with the surname Kirigaya in both the maritime and Naruto worlds.
"Lord First Alliance Leader, could you show me around Alliance City as it was a hundred years ago?"
"Umm... sure," Dak agreed after some thought, nodding.
He was curious to hear more about what Alliance City would become a century later.
"Yay, hehe~"
"Shall we go? By the way, which starter Pokémon did you choose?"
"A Charmander! It's already evolved into a Charizard!"
(End of Chapter)