Fresh fish promises relief—then delivers agony. As islands multiply on the horizon, danger comes not from enemies, but from the sea itself.
In June 1774, off the shores of present-day Tonga, the HMS Resolution glides between reefs and low coral islands, welcomed with fruit, laughter, and chants of “Wòa”—friend. But beneath the surface of peaceful trade, misunderstandings fester. One stolen hatchet becomes the spark for a violent clash, testing the limits of trust between Europeans and Polynesians.