The sun was low in the sky, covering the training ground with long shadows. Captain Boromante and Borsalino were finishing another hard practice. Sweat dripped from the boy's forehead, and instead of his usual lazy grin, he had a look of fierce determination.

"Hey, Pop," Borsalino said slowly. His voice had a somber tone for such a young person. "I've been thinking. Maybe it's time we take my training to the next level."

Curiosity mixed with concern on Captain Boromante's face as he raised an eyebrow at his son's words. "What do you mean?"

Borsalino twitched his fingers and little sparks of light danced between them. "I think... that you should teach me Haki."

A flash of worry crossed Captain Boromante's face as his eyes widened in shock. "Haki? Borsalino, that is not something to be taken lightly! It is a power that-"

"That requires great discipline and control," Borsalino interrupted impatiently. "I know, Pop! But look at what I can do now."

With a swift flick of his wrist, an intricate lattice of light appeared before Borsalino's hand, weaving complex patterns that shimmered and pulsed in the twilight. Captain Boromante watched with pride laced with unease.

"Your Devil Fruit powers have improved greatly beyond expectations son! However Haki is different because it doesn't just need control but also..."

"Willpower," said Borsalino quickly as he let out a grin again. "The strength of one's spirit right? Ooh, I think I'm ready for this challenge pop."

While making his case part of him just wanted to reveal where all this came from—Store System: Lex Luthor Template which has sharpened his mind so much—but he remained silent knowing some things are best left unsaid.

Captain Boromante paced back and forth with a furrowed brow before speaking up. "Learning Haki at your age, Borsalino... it's not impossible but very rare. The strain on your body and mind-"

"I can take it!" Borsalino cut in, his voice sounding older than his years. "You always said a Marine should be prepared for anything didn't you Pop? Well, this is me preparing!" Nothing was said between them for a few long seconds except the cries of seagulls in the distance. Captain Boromante stared deep into his son's eyes hoping to see fear or doubt but there was only determination behind those ever-present sunglasses.

Finally, he sighed and smiled ruefully. "You're not gonna let this go are ya?"

Borsalino's grin grew wider. "Ooh you know me Pop! Like the tide ne?"

Captain Boromante chuckled softly before shaking his head. "Alright son we'll start your Haki training. But I'm warning you now it's not going to be easy; It will push you harder than anything else ever has."

"That's what I want," Borsalino replied with an intense glint that sent shivers down Captain Boromante's spine as they walked home together bathed in orange and purple light from the setting sun. It felt like he was sending him off on something irrevocable.

"Borsalino," he muttered, "agree with me about something."

"What's that, old man?" His smile was still a little less vibrant than before, but still definitely present.

"You can become stronger than any living creature. You can get any power you want… just remember who you are. That's the main thing."

For one small moment, Borsalino's wide eyes narrowed and his lips twitched down into an unfamiliar shape—a frown? A grimace? It was gone too quickly to tell.

"Sure thing, Pop. I'll always be me. Just… better."

When night fell over Mariner's Haven, Borsalino Boromante was still standing at the edge of his life. The Power of the Light burned in his veins, Lex Luthor's genius sharpened his mind, and now Haki was calling out to him.

In the middle of the night, when even the sea seemed to hold its breath, young Borsalino Boromante sat cross-legged on his bed with only a dim light coming from between his fingers. His sunglasses hide his eyes as they stare into space.

"Ooh, what do we have here?" He mutters quietly. "Damage Data Insight? Sounds... interesting." With a thought, he buys it and feels that familiar tingle as a new power settles into him. A grin spreads across his face wider than usual.

"This should make things real interesting."

With the first rays of sunlight over the horizon came Captain Boromante in the training yard, face set with equal parts determination and worry. "Borsalino," He calls across to him. "You sure about this?"

The boy saunters into view, grin perfectly lazy as always. "Ooh Pops I was born ready," He drawls out lazily stretching.

Captain Boromante narrows his eyes beneath tired lines carved by years at sea. "This ain't a game kid. Haki training is intense; it's gonna hurt."

Borsalino's grin widens impossibly further. "Pain? Ooh that won't be a problem Pop trust me."

And they begin pieces of training and Captain Boromante doesn't hold back. He worked through his son with each blow designed to shake something loose and bring something new out. Where there should have been screams of pain, there was only silence.

"Huh," Borsalino mutters calmly as another strike lands true. "Left shoulder, minor contusion. Muscle fibers strained but not torn."

Captain Boromante hesitates after a particularly harsh blow; confusion written in the lines etched onto his face by windstorms. "Borsalino? Are you... are you alright?"

The grin never falters."Never better Pops. Shall we continue?"

Hours pass and still he's standing absorbing punishment that would shatter grown men like glass. His father watches with a combination of awe and horror at the shell of what could be his son pushing beyond all normal bounds.

"Ooh that last one was interesting." Borsalino comments casually like commenting on the weather outside. "Hairline fracture left radius nothing to worry about though ya know?"

Captain Boromante stumbles backward, face ash pale. "This... this ain't natural Borsalino we need to stop."

But the grin only widens—a manic gleam behind those sunglasses. "Stop? But Pop we're just getting started."

The sun sets casting long shadows across the training yard and Captain Boromante finally calls an end to it for tonight, Borsalino stands before him body painted black blue purple red in patches yet no hint of stress in posture or smile.

"Kid," the head of the ship said, his voice full of worry, "What happened to you? This is not… this isn't regular."

Borsalino inclined his head. "Regular? Oh, I guess not. But then again, Pops, when have I ever been usual?"

In the dim light of dusk, Captain Boromante saw something in his son's eyes that made him shudder. It was more than just determination and thirst for power. It was icy and calculating—alien.

"What have you done to yourself?" Captain Boromante whispered.

The boy's smile is believed to have been impossible to be any bigger, a Cheshire cat grin that appeared to split his face in half. "Nothing to worry. Oh, father, we are only just starting. This is strength's future, you know? No pain, no limits… Just power."

As Mariner's Haven fell into nightfall, young Borsalino Boromante teetered on the brink of a change that would rock the world to its core. In his room, bathed in the soft light of his light abilities, he examined himself with detached precision.

"Oh, what a fun day," he said to himself, words biting enough to make even the most courageous Marine shiver. "I wonder… How far can I take this?"

It was then that Borsalino smiled—a smile in which there was no promise of joy.

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The sun had not yet risen when Borsalino's eyes snapped open and a grin split his face like porcelain shattering. He sat up in bed and flexed his fingers; he could feel the new power coursing through him.

"Ohh," he said as his arm turned black with Armament Haki. "Would ya look at that?"

Captain Boromante burst into the room, eyes wide with disbelief. "Borsalino? I felt… Is that…?"

The boy turned toward his father; even in the early morning light, one could see the sparkles on his ever-present sunglasses. "Haki, Pop! Just like you and I wanted! Pretty cool, huh?"

Captain Boromante stumbled backward; never before had shock and awe so completely overtaken him. "But… how? It took me years to master Haki! Decades for some! And you've done it in… days?"

Borsalino shrugged—-an oddly fluid motion for such a young child. "Eh," he said. "I guess I'm a quick learner, huh? All that training must've paid off or something."

The Captain narrowed his eyes; for a moment, unease flashed across his face. "The training…" he said slowly. "Borsalino, what you went through… No child should have been able to survive it. That's not natural."

For the briefest of moments, Borsalino's smile fell and there was a flicker of something dark hidden behind his sunglasses. Then it returned—-wider than ever. "Natural?" he chuckled, stepping past his father with an odd grace.

"Since when has anything about me been natural?"

As his father stood rooted in the doorway, grappling with the implications of his son's actions, Borsalino slipped by him with an unearthly smoothness.

"Well," he said over his shoulder as he started down the street toward Mariner's Haven proper, "if yah don't mind, Pop, I got a friend t' find. Can't keep Solara waitin', ya know?"

He walked through the streets with Lex Luthor's stolen brilliance filling his head with numbers and formulas—all made possible by those cold green eyes hidden behind familiar dark lenses.

Solara awaited Borsalino near the docks, as always. Her eyes sparkled with excitement when she saw him walking over. "Borsalino! You're back! How was the training?"

He paused briefly, remembering the pain that wasn't pain. It had never ended until it did. "Mm," he said after a moment, his grin sliding back into place. "'Enlightening,' I guess you could say. Lucky you weren't there—I think it would have put you off your breakfast."

Curiosity furrowed Solara's brow as she tilted her head at him. "What happened?"

Borsalino chuckled—though it sounded oddly hollow—and shrugged one shoulder carelessly. "Oh, y'know... this and that." He gave her a wink and nudged her side with his elbow. "But don't worry about it, okay? Old Borsalino's got everything under control."

They sat on the edge of the dock together, their feet hanging over the water, but something felt wrong to Borsalino—the sea breeze on his skin wasn't sharp enough, or maybe it was too sharp; the sun wasn't warm enough, or maybe it was too warm; Solara's laughter didn't sound right—it didn't sound like anything at all; everything felt muffled and dull like he was sitting on one side of thick glass while life went on around him on the other side.

For a moment, Borsalino thought of telling Solara everything. About the Store System, Lex Luthor's IQ, about Damage Data Insight that had let him surpass human limits. But he had seen her face and knew he couldn't.

As the sun climbed higher in the sky and created long shadows on the docks, young Borsalino Boromante sat with his friend across a gap of secrets. In his head, plans within plans unfolded, each bolder than the last.

"Hey, Solara," he said suddenly, his voice carrying an edge that could've made adults shudder. "What do you think about the future? About… changing the world?"

Solara laughed, oblivious to what was behind his words. "Change the world? That's crazy talk, Borsalino!"

But as Borsalino stared out at the horizon that seemed to stretch on forever—-his eyes hidden behind those ever-present sunglasses—-he knew it wasn't crazy anymore. The world didn't know what was rising in its midst: a force of light shaped by light itself; by borrowed intellect; by painlessness not understood by man.

The age of Kizaru was coming. And it would be blinding.

The sun sat low in the sky over Mariner's Haven and cast long shadows across its streets. Young Borsalino Boromante stood atop one such roof, a pair of sunglasses glinting in what little light remained. Below him walked a boy alone—-walking with purpose.

Borsalino activated his light powers with a thought-—his body becoming translucent—-and followed from shadow to shadow like this wasn't his first time doing it (which it was).

"This is almost too easy," he chuckled to himself. "Like a grown man stalking a child." He paused for dramatic effect before adding: "Oh wait! That's exactly what this is, ne?"

The boy below stopped in his tracks and looked around as if he could sense a presence. Borsalino held his breath, grinning wider than should be legally allowed.

Night had fallen by the time the boy arrived at an abandoned quarry. Borsalino watched from a cliff above, intrigued.

"Now what's a kid like you doing in a place like this?" he wondered aloud to himself.

And then the air around the boy began to shimmer with heat. Borsalino leaned forward, eyes widening behind his sunglasses.

"No…" he breathed. "It can't be…"

The boy clenched his fists-—and suddenly they were made of molten rock. Magma dripped from between his fingers and sizzled as it hit the ground.

Borsalino's grin spread impossibly wide. "Ooh, Sakazuki… or should I say Akainu? What a delightful surprise, ne?"

For hours on end, Borsalino watched as young Sakazuki trained himself to the limits of his magma powers. Every eruption of molten rock sent an electric thrill through Borsalino's body.

"My my," he murmured with excitement hanging off each word. "You always were my favorite, Akainu." He paused for dramatic effect (again) before continuing: "Even more than myself, can you believe that?"

As dawn approached, Sakazuki finally expended himself and fell to the ground breathing heavily—-steam rising from him into the early morning air. Borsalino stood up straight and stretched lazlly.

"Ooh what a show," he drawled with insouciance dripping out of every syllable. "I think it might be time we had a little chat, don't you?"

Borsalino appeared before exhausted Sakazuki in a flash of light-—the younger boy's eyes going wide with fear and shock.

"Wh-who are you?" Sakazuki stammered, trying to summon his magma but finding himself too drained.

Borsalino's grin broadened inhumanly. "Oh, just a friend. A person who recognizes real power when he sees one, you know?"

He bent down with his face inches away from Sakazuki's. "Tell me, Saka-chan, would you like to alter the world?"

Sakazuki's eyes narrowed; for a moment the future ruthless Admiral came out of him. "Alter…the world?"

Borsalino nodded; his smile never left his lips. "Yes sir! Me and you Saka-chan could fix this sorry justice system and build something… really absolute."

As the earliest beams of sunlight crawled over the horizon, two boys stood in a deserted quarry, smelling only sulfur and ambition. Borsalino Boromante, who would become Kizaru, stared down at Akainu-to-be Sakazuki, his mind racing.

"What do you say, Saka-chan?" Borsalino drawled, sticking out a hand. "Shall we show this world what true justice looks like?"

Sakazuki hesitated for a moment before taking Borsalino's hand. When their fingers touched, it was like a spark passing between them; a promise of the future that would shake the foundations of the globe.

Borsalino's grin widened impossibly. "Ooh, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship, ne?"

It was then that history shifted course in Mariner's Haven; at once the pact was made under breaking dawn. Each boy carried with him knowledge and ambition far beyond their years—and set eyes upon an earth ready for conquering. The age of total justice had come to its birth; it would be too bright for anyone to see and too hot for anything to survive.

The sun beat mercilessly on Mariner's Haven but Borsalino Boromante didn't feel it. His eyes (always hidden behind sunglasses) were fixed on the boy beside him—-Sakazuki, future Admiral Akainu—whose very anger seemed controlled.

"Ooh, Saka-chan," Borsalino drawled, his grin wider than ever before. "Tell me about your parents again? It's such a... fascinating story."

Sakazuki's gaze hardened; magma simmered just below his skin. "They were good people, Borsalino," he said quietly. "Pirates took them from me."

"Simple?" Borsalino laughed quietly to himself—so quiet. "I don't think anything about you is simple, ne?"

Weeks turned to days and Borsalino peeled back the layers of Sakazuki's psyche; each new secret more delicious than the last. The loss of his parents was only a start—he knew there was something else; something that would push Sakazuki from justice to absolute.

"Say, Saka-chan," Borsalino said one evening as they watched the sunset over the harbor. "What happened after your parents died? Something... changed in you, didn't it?"

Sakazuki's fists clenched, steam rising from his skin. "That's... private, Borsalino."

Borsalino's grin widened impossibly. "Ooh, but we're friends aren't we? Best friends even—-no secrets between us, ne?"

For a moment—-just one single moment—-Sakazuki lost control and Borsalino saw the inferno burning inside him. It was glorious.

"Pop," Borsalino shouted out, his voice bouncing off the walls of the house. "I want you to meet someone."

Captain Boromante walked out of his study, deeply concerned as he took in Sakazuki. "Borsalino, who is this?"

"This," Borsalino said with a grin that stretched impossibly far, "is Sakazuki. My new... project."

The Captain's eyes narrowed. "Project? What have you gotten yourself into now?"

"Oh, nothing much," Borsalino drawled lazily. "Just reshaping how justice works for the next few centuries or so."

Sakazuki stepped forward, eyes burning with an intensity that even the old Captain had never seen before. "Sir, I want to learn. To grow stronger. To shield the innocent from those who would do them harm."

Captain Boromante looked at the boy hard for a moment, sensing something deep within him that was raw and powerful and untempered by time or training alone. "And what do you plan to do with that strength?"

"Destroy wickedness," Sakazuki stated without hesitation. "By any means necessary."

Captain Boromante's face went white as he realized what dangerous ground they were teetering on here—but before he could speak up in protest against such a path taken by one so young (let alone anyone at all), Borsalino cut him off.

"Now now Pop," he said lightly through his teeth; still smiling though it was barely there anymore—only evident in how tight his lips became around every word spoken after this point—"Isn't this what you've always wanted? To shape up Marines like never before then send 'em out into world ready for changing?"

Captain Boromante kept quiet for a while and stared at the two boys. What he saw in Sakazuki was nothing but a weapon that could be made better. But in his son, he saw something worse than that; he saw an eager hand that wanted to use it.

At last, sighing as if the whole world had been placed upon his shoulders, he said: "Fine then."

Borsalino's grin grew even bigger at this impossible promise; "Oh don't worry about us Pop! We'll be the most responsible little soldiers you've ever seen won't we Saka-chan?"

Sakazuki nodded gravely but there was a glint in his eye just like there was behind Borsalino's sunglasses.

As the night came down on Mariner's Haven two boys stood at the edge of everything. Borsalino Boromante who would become Kizaru and Sakazuki's future Admiral Akainu their fates tied together from here on out.

"This is it Saka-chan," Borsalino whispered eagerly. "The start of our great adventure! Are you ready to set the world ablaze?"

Sakazuki's reply was simple yet it sent shivers down Borsalino's spine with excitement.

"Always."