Chapter 487: Breaking Free from Illusions and Obtaining the Mysterious Gem

During the exploration, they met an old man who claimed to be the guardian of the island. The old man's eyes were deep and mysterious. He looked at Luffy and others and said slowly: "You outsiders should not come here. This island is cursed. Everyone who comes here will fall into endless hallucinations and eventually lose themselves."

Luffy laughed and said, "We won't be defeated by illusions. We still have to continue our adventure!"

The old man shook his head: "You are too naive. The illusion here is not so easy to get rid of. It will go deep into your heart, dig out your greatest fears and desires, and then trap you in it."

Despite the old man's warning, Luffy and his companions did not back down. They continued to go deeper into the island, and soon after, the hallucinations really began to appear. Luffy saw his companions fall down one by one in front of him. He tried to save them, but found that he was powerless, and the world around him became dark and hopeless.

"No! I won't let anything happen to you!" Luffy shouted loudly, his heart filled with pain and anger.

Zoro saw the scenes of his defeat to his opponent reappearing again and again, and the shame of failure surged into his heart, making his eyes confused. Kuina saw a future where she could not realize her dream, and her heart was filled with sadness and helplessness. Hancock saw the scene of her losing her lover Luffy and the destruction of Nine Snake Island, and tears welled up in her eyes.

Just when they were about to be completely swallowed by the illusion, they heard each other's voices. Luffy's voice rang out in the illusion: "We are partners! We have experienced so many difficulties together, how can we be defeated here!"

This voice was like a ray of light in the darkness, awakening the faith deep in their hearts. Luffy recalled the moments when he and his companions defeated countless enemies together, and those smiles and trust were so real. Zoro tightened his grip on the sword again. He knew that failure was only a stepping stone to growth. His goal was to become the world's number one swordsman and he could not be bound by the shadow of the past. Kuina also regained her confidence. Her dream was ahead, and she would pursue it with her companions. Hancock remembered Luffy's bravery and strength. She knew that as long as she was with him, there was nothing to be afraid of.

With their firm belief, they broke free from the illusion. When they opened their eyes again, they found the old man standing in front of them with a hint of relief in his eyes.

"You passed the test. Your faith is stronger than I thought," the old man said.

It turned out that the old man was testing whether they were qualified to receive the treasure on the island - a mysterious gem that could enhance people's spiritual power. This gem was left by the ancestors of the island, and they hoped that only those who truly had a strong heart could possess it.

Luffy and his companions accepted the gems, and they felt a warm and powerful force flowing in their hearts. With this new power, they left the mysterious island and continued to sail towards the unknown sea.

On the next journey, they encountered another volcanic island. The volcano on this island was erupting violently, magma flowed like a river, and the sky was dyed black by thick smoke.

"This island looks dangerous, but we might be able to find something interesting inside." Luffy looked at the volcanic island with excitement in his eyes.

As they approached the volcanic island, they felt the heat coming towards them. The magma splashed onto the sea surface, making a "sizzling" sound, and the sea water was steaming up into large patches of mist.

"How do we get up?" Kuina asked, looking at the boiling lava and steep volcanic walls.

Ling Tian observed the surrounding environment and found that there were some special rocks on the volcanic island that seemed to be able to withstand high temperatures. They used these rocks to build a temporary passage to the volcanic island.

On the island, they carefully avoided the flowing magma. Suddenly, some lizard-like creatures jumped out of the magma. These creatures were covered with hard lava shells, their eyes were like burning flames, and their tails had sharp thorns.

"Another new enemy, come on!" Luffy shouted.

Luffy turned on the "Tank Man" form of Gear 4 and rolled towards the lava lizards: "Rubber rubber? Giant lava bomb!" His body collided with the lizards, knocking some of them away. But the lizards quickly stood up again from the magma. They didn't seem to be afraid of physical attacks.

Zoro used "Three Swords Flow, Lava Slash, Salamander Smash". His sword turned red under the high temperature, and every swing could cut out a flame, slashing at the lava shell of the lizard. Kuina and the Nine Snakes used special anti-fire arrows to shoot at the lizard's eyes and other weak parts. Hancock used "Fragrant Kick, Lava Smash". Her legs were powerful, and every kick could leave deep marks on the lizard's shell.

During the battle, they found that the weakness of these lava lizards was in their abdomens, where the lava shell was relatively thin. So they changed their tactics and focused on attacking the abdomens of the lizards. Luffy used the extension and contraction of his rubber arms to cleverly avoid the attacks of the lizards, and then attacked their abdomens. Zoro, Kuina and the Nine Snakes cooperated tacitly, forming a siege on the lizards and continuously attacking their abdomens. Hancock used his domineering power to intimidate the lizards, making their movements slow down.

After a fierce battle, they finally defeated the lava lizard. While exploring the volcanic island, they found a cave hidden inside the volcano. The cave was filled with a pungent smell of sulfur, and the walls were inlaid with some sparkling crystals.

"What are these crystals? They look very special." Luffy reached out to touch them curiously.

Ling Tian quickly stopped him: "Be careful, these crystals may be dangerous. They are formed under high temperature and high pressure and may contain unknown energy."

As they were studying the crystals, the cave began to shake violently. It turned out that the volcanic activity had become more intense and could erupt at any time.

"We have to get out of here!" Zoro shouted.

They quickly ran out of the cave, but the lava had already begun to pour in. Luffy and the others sped up and successfully escaped from the volcanic island just as the lava was about to submerge them.

After leaving the volcanic island, they continued sailing. In the vast ocean, they encountered another huge storm. The storm was like a ferocious beast, raising waves tens of meters high. The ship shook violently in the storm, like a leaf drifting in the wind.

"Everyone hold on! Don't get blown away by the storm!" Luffy held on to the side of the ship tightly and shouted loudly.

The crew worked together, some maneuvering the sails, others securing the ship with heavy objects. Zoro, Kuina, and the Nine Snakes helped the injured crew members and ensured their safety. Hancock used her abilities to protect the ship as much as possible to prevent it from being smashed by the waves.

After fighting the storm for several hours, they finally broke out of the storm, but the ship was severely damaged and needed to be repaired.