This was something Robin, Olvia's future daughter, would one day say herself. Among the many Devil Fruit powers in the world, the Rumble-Rumble Fruit was one of the few that could truly be called nearly invincible.
Lightning had always been one of nature's most destructive forces. And its uses went far beyond destruction alone.
Through electrical currents, it could even stimulate the body to a sustained state of arousal.
It also had electrotherapy applications, the ability to move at lightning speed, the potential to temper the body, and even create lightning clones...
If that Devil Fruit had not ended up in Enel's hands, but in the possession of the Marines or some top-tier pirate, then its user would absolutely have become one of the strongest monsters on the sea.
The fruit's potential was simply too enormous.
If he could get his hands on the Logia-type Rumble-Rumble Fruit, Ares was certain that with proper cultivation, one more Emperor-Admiral level powerhouse would emerge under his command.
And more importantly...
Ares was not merely after the Logia Devil Fruit itself.
He also intended to bring Sky Island under his banner.
Make it another piece of territory within his sphere of influence.
Development could never happen without population. More importantly, the unique products of Sky Island, if sold down in the Blue Sea, would surely open a road to immense wealth.
And in the future, if Vegapunk joined Wano, the pursuit of scientific advancement would devour staggering amounts of money and resources.
That meant Ares had to prepare ahead of time.
To strengthen Wano, to ensure that one day it would possess the power to stand against the World Government, Ares had been exhausting himself, racking his brains day and night for ways to grow the nation stronger.
Very soon...
Without a Log Pose to guide them, they arrived at one of the most famous great nations of the Grand Line.
Alabasta!
Ares did not show himself. He had no intention of exposing his whereabouts and drawing the attention of the Marines or the World Government.
Instead, he sent Olvia, Crocus, and Dr. Kureha into the port city of Nanohana, where they remained for half a month.
During that time, following Ares's instructions, Olvia carefully observed the way the harbor operated, its management systems, and every other detail she could gather...
And recorded them all in a notebook.
It was, in effect, an early exercise in study and training.
As a superpower nation with a population exceeding ten million and a standing army of six hundred thousand, Alabasta was astonishing, especially considering it was a desert kingdom.
Naturally, there was much worth learning from and borrowing.
That was why Ares had allowed Olvia to remain there for half a month, to observe and absorb what she could.
Once they left Alabasta, Olvia excitedly recounted everything she had seen on the island, then showed Ares the notes she had taken.
The little notebook, filled with neat and elegant handwriting, was densely packed with important details: commodity prices, harbor operations, docking arrangements, port fees...
All sorts of miscellaneous information had been carefully recorded.
It was obvious that Olvia had taken the task seriously and worked diligently.
Ares was very satisfied.
"Well done. It seems bringing you in really was a very wise choice. Don't worry, I'll absolutely keep the promise I made to you."
The promise, of course, was the Poneglyphs.
And while Olvia and the others had been on the island observing, exploring, and recording, Ares himself had been training and cultivating, while gradually forming an excellent plan in his mind.
There were four red Road Poneglyphs that pointed to the final island.
One of them was on Zou.
But Ares did not know where the other three were.
So after some thought, he planned to spread the news of the red Poneglyphs.
Once people like Rocks, Roger, Shiki, and World learned of them, they would surely begin searching the seas for the red Road Poneglyphs.
And when that happened...
The already chaotic seas would descend into even greater disorder.
And that would give Ares the perfect chance to seize Poneglyphs for himself.
"I believe you're a man who keeps his word. Researching the Poneglyphs and uncovering the truth is the ultimate dream of every archaeologist," Olvia said happily, full of hope.
In the future, she would be the kind of woman willing to leave behind even her little daughter for the sake of pursuing the truth.
And on this sea, dreams had always been the central driving force.
To pursue their dreams, countless people had abandoned countless things.
Even family.
Using the Log Pose they had purchased in Alabasta, Laboon carried them to the sea where Upper Yard had once been blasted into the sky.
"The Log Pose... it's pointing upward!" Olvia raised her wrist. For now, she had taken on the temporary role of the group's navigator.
Crocus and Dr. Kureha both stared curiously at the needle. What had once pointed horizontally now stood upright, aimed at the sky.
Crocus looked at Ares.
"That's where the Sky Island you're after is, right? I never thought I'd actually have the chance to witness the legendary Sky Island in my lifetime."
To ninety-nine percent of the world, Sky Island was little more than a myth.
A fairy tale.
An illusion.
"Yeah. That's exactly where we're going," Ares replied with a nod.
And just then...
The Knock Up Stream erupted before them.
A massive column of seawater shot into the heavens, rising like a spear toward the sky.
"Amazing... The Knock Up Stream really is one of nature's masterpieces!" Olvia had, for the first time, seen with her own eyes what books had described.
The sight was magnificent.
Dr. Kureha also watched it with interest.
"No wonder so many pirates die here. The force of something like that is more than enough to shatter an ordinary ship."
"And on top of that, you'd need a truly excellent navigator. If you made even one mistake, the current would fling you off, and you'd fall to your death."
Crocus tilted his head back, staring upward with lingering unease.
"The legends of Sky Island have always been around, but almost no one has ever seen it. Just getting there is already a gamble with death. And even if someone reaches it alive..."
"Getting back down is probably another life-and-death wager."
Then all of them turned toward Ares.
Every face, every pair of eyes, was filled with longing and anticipation for Sky Island.
All of them were clearly eager to see what this legendary place actually looked like.
Then...
Ares created flame clouds with his power and carried the group upward.
As for Laboon, of course he did not leave him behind. Since Ares intended to move the whole Sky Island anyway, there was no point in making another troublesome return trip to the Blue Sea. He would simply carry Sky Island straight to the New World and bring it back with him to Wano.
They rose higher and higher.
And just before reaching the White Sea, Ares transformed into a majestic azure dragon, opened his mouth, and blasted a huge hole through it with a single Boro Breath.
Before the White Sea could close again, he sped straight through the opening, making sure to avoid touching it directly.
The entire ascent was smooth and uneventful.
They had arrived in the heavens.
Laboon grew wildly excited. He let out cheerful cries, circling over the white sea of clouds.
Crocus stared in amazement.
"Incredible... The ocean of Sky Island is actually made of clouds..."