Old Town-
Dilapidated buildings rotted and leaned in the tropical climate, vines crawling unchecked over their walls. The air smelled of damp mold and dust.
"This place... feels so deserted."
Yamato carried her Kanabo over her shoulder, her long white ponytail swaying gently as she walked. She looked around curiously.
Ulti followed behind, her round pink eyes sharply scanning every corner.
"Pe-tan, be careful. There might be traps."
She warned her younger brother out of habit, even though she was more likely to blunder into a trap herself.
"Got it, Sis."
Page One nodded obediently.
"Hey, look at this!"
Ulti suddenly stopped before a relatively intact wall and pointed at a badly faded, torn wanted poster.
It showed a group of spirited pirates, apparently one of those so-called "adventuring crews."
Their leader had an odd hairstyle, a youthful face, and a bold grin-it was the Baron.
He looked barely into his twenties.
"The Baron? So Heavenward had a reason for telling us to 'watch out for the Baron'..."
Yamato leaned closer and rubbed her chin.
Before they came, Sephiroth had offered to tell her most of the island's history through a "prophecy."
But Yamato had refused, thinking that would spoil the fun.
As the three examined the wanted poster, a heavily rusted iron manhole cover nearby suddenly clanged as someone pushed it up a crack from below. A pair of wary eyes peered through the gap.
"Who's there?!"
Ulti reacted instantly, her gold, long-handled Morning Star already in her hands, its head pointed straight at the cover.
"Don't-don't attack! I'm not a bad guy!"
The cover was pushed all the way aside, and a scrawny man wearing an explorer's hat and a toothbrush mustache scrambled out on all fours.
He was Briff, the sole survivor of the Mustache Pirates.
He