FLASHBACK: TWO YEARS AGO, EVERGREEN ISLE
On the deck of a bustling pirate ship, the captain—a fearsome figure with a black eyepatch—loomed with authority. His wooden leg clacked with each step, louder and more pronounced than the footfalls of his crew. Clutching a weathered map of the sea, he scowled at the parchment, his eyes narrowing as he noticed the conspicuous absence of the island.
"Blimey, either this map's been scrawled by a landlubber or this island's just popped into existence!" he roared, his breath like a stinking fog that choked the crew nearby. "I'd bet me boots it's the latter. Even a half-blind, half-pickled, fish-for-brains sailor could spot a landmass like this and mark it on his chart."
With a contemptuous grunt, he ordered the anchor to be thrown overboard. The ship came to a halt, its arrival marking the first time in centuries that outsiders had set foot on the island.
