Just as all hope seemed lost, a mysterious figure appeared before them. It was an old man, dressed in strange robes, who seemed to know a great deal about the island and its secrets. He explained to the crew of the Straw Hats that the beast was the guardian of the island, and that it had been cursed by an ancient evil.
The old man told them that the only way to break the curse was to find a magical artifact that was hidden deep within the jungle. The crew of the Straw Hats accepted the challenge and set out on a perilous journey to find the artifact.