Captain Barnabas “Barnacle” O’Sullivan was born on the sea, his mother giving birth to him while journeying to the New World. He joined the Royal Navy at the age of thirteen, became an officer at seventeen, and mutinied before he was twenty.

He soon developed devilish skill with both pistol and cutlass, and his devil-may-care attitude endeared him equally to his shipmates and port wenches. He was aboard the Jester the day “Dog-eye” Malone burned the floating port of Lobster Cove. He barely survived the ill-fated expedition into the Incan cave hidden in Atacama, bringing back a golden monkey statue that looked exactly like Mr. Nibs. He earned a command when he swam with a hand-picked gang through black waters and cut the throats of the men on board the ship that would become the Brigand.

Some days, though, he would lock himself into his quarters, take off his tri-corner hat, comb out his mangy hair, put on a silk dressing gown, light a pipe, and enjoy a snifter of fine brandy.

The men never suspected.