Nami watched Reddy's gradually receding back, feeling utterly bewildered in the wind.
She had just acted on impulse, nothing more.
How did this crybaby end up being dumped on her in the blink of an eye?
Was this the trial you gave her?
I... I'm still a child!
Reddy didn't know Nami had so much internal drama. Handing Shirahoshi over to her had been a spur-of-the-moment decision.
As a representative of the younger generation of Fish-Man Island, the timid Shirahoshi needed a role model to guide her.
The strong-willed Nami was clearly a great choice.
"Shirahoshi is in your care now."
Fukaboshi walked up to Nami, solemnly bowed, and then returned to the landing mirror to guide the fish-men emerging from the Mirror World.
"Nami is a good kid. Shirahoshi will be fine with her."
Jinbe glanced at the even more flustered Nami, his eyes filled with amusement as he looked at Fukaboshi. "I thought it would be the Pirate Empress guiding Princess Shirahoshi to her breakthrough. I didn't expect it to be this girl."
Though he didn't understand why Nami always maintained a faint hostility toward him, that didn't stop him from admiring this young girl.
After all, not every fourteen-year-old girl could manage such a large business while still having the energy to develop her own ventures.
Currently, over 60% of the children on the island had been recruited by Nami.
Some worked in workshops crafting handicrafts, while more joined Nami's logistics team.
Rumors said this was a huge business, and Nami had already earned profits far beyond what her peers could imagine.
He had high hopes that Shirahoshi would grow through her interactions with Nami.
...
"Um..."
Shirahoshi looked at Nami timidly, hesitating to speak.
The crowd watching nearby was still large, but fortunately, even though Reddy had left, no one dared to approach.
"What?"
Nami glared at Shirahoshi, finding her more and more irritating, her tone unfriendly.
Shirahoshi immediately looked like she was about to cry again, but remembering what had just happened, she bit her lip and tried hard not to.
"Fine, follow me."
Nami was defeated by this crybaby and waved dejectedly for Shirahoshi to follow.
She was very busy right now.
Selling food wasn't her main business—she was just Reddy's front.
Now that she had more people under her, she didn't need to personally oversee food sales and only handled deals with major clients.
"Why is your appetite so small today?"
Nami brought Shirahoshi to the food store, completed the day's transaction with the familiar fat merchant, and teased him lightly.
The fat man scowled, not wanting to speak.
He was baffled by how this place seemed to have an endless supply of food.
Strangely, he had specifically checked all eight docks on the island but never spotted any food transport ships.
What annoyed him most was that he had repeatedly demanded Nami stop selling food to island residents and prioritize fulfilling their 10-billion-Berry contract.
But Nami's attitude was clear: take it or leave it.
What could he do?
Could he refuse to buy?
Of course not!
If he didn't grit his teeth and keep going, he'd lose everything.
Nami mischievously teased, "A new batch of food just arrived. Want me to send you more?"
"No, thank you."
The fat man's face darkened further.
With the 10-billion-Berry contract in hand, he wasn't worried about Nami failing to deliver.
But the island's warehouses couldn't handle it.
Today's shipment from Nami was about 10% smaller than yesterday's.
The reason was simple: the island had almost no empty warehouses left, forcing merchants like him to rent at high prices.
He had even paid a 3-million-Berry deposit and a daily rent of 6 million Berries to reserve space in warehouses still under construction.
"No need, thanks."
The fat man forced a stiff smile, asked Nami to arrange transport to the storage area, and then left in a huff.
He didn't even spare a glance for the adorable mermaid princess Shirahoshi standing right there.
"Amazing!"
Shirahoshi watched Nami render the fat man speechless and was utterly impressed.
"That guy is a bad person."
Nami wasn't stupid. She had long known the fat man was no good. If not for Reddy's orders, she wouldn't have sold him a single grain.
Shirahoshi covered her mouth in shock, not understanding why Nami would do business with someone she knew was bad.
"This is the adult world. You wouldn't understand."
Nami pretended to be worldly, shrugging and gaining a strong sense of superiority from Shirahoshi's reaction. Her mood improved greatly.
"Amazing!"
Shirahoshi's eyes sparkled with admiration.
"Follow me."
Nami signaled Shirahoshi to follow and took her to the workshop.
The new workshop was already built. Though crude, it was spacious enough for over a thousand people to work inside.
There was also a dedicated area outside for waste disposal, with foul-smelling trash being hauled away daily.
"Amazing!"
Shirahoshi saw the busy scene inside the workshop and gasped for the third time.
In her mind, Nami's image grew infinitely taller.
Even though she was King Neptune's most beloved youngest daughter and a princess of Fish-Man Island, she had never managed so many people.
"This is nothing."
Nami waved her hand dismissively, then got to the point, her eyes turning into Berry symbols as she looked up at Shirahoshi. "I heard the shell crafts from Fish-Man Island are beautiful. Can you design them?"
"Yes!"
Previously, living 10,000 meters underwater in Fish-Man Island, shell crafts were a must-have toy for every little girl due to the environment and culture.
Shirahoshi had initially felt ashamed seeing Nami, only a few years older, achieve so much. But when Nami brought this up, she regained her confidence.
"Then please help us design new shell crafts."
Nami sweetly rattled off her requirements. "The prettier the shape, the better. The simpler the structure, the better. They must be creative..."
Nami listed over a dozen demands in one breath, leaving Shirahoshi dazed.
"Right, that's it. Can you do it?"
Nami finished her demands and stared expectantly at Shirahoshi.
"Um..."
Shirahoshi hesitated, feeling deeply ashamed.
Before she turned six, the shell crafts she encountered were all carefully selected by King Neptune and Queen Otohime. After Queen Otohime's assassination, she was forced into the Hard-Shell Tower.
Out of guilt, King Neptune never gave her a single simple toy.
The other requirements Nami mentioned were manageable, but the demand for simplicity stumped her. She couldn't imagine what a beautiful yet structurally simple shell craft would look like.
"I thought mermaids were the best designers. You're a mermaid princess, so you should be the best. But I guess not... Fine, let's see what else you can do. I don't keep idle people here."
Nami's disappointed tone deeply hurt Shirahoshi.
"I'll do my best!"
Shirahoshi clenched her fists, mustering the courage to promise she wouldn't let Nami down.
"Good!"
Nami nodded in satisfaction, then corrected a key mistake in Shirahoshi's words. "You should say you won't disgrace Fish-Man Island. You must uphold Fish-Man Island's reputation, understand?"
"Yes!"
Shirahoshi didn't understand why Nami said this, but upon reflection, it made sense. She couldn't shame Fish-Man Island.
A sly smile flashed in Nami's eyes.
This mermaid princess was so easy to fool.
Now she had no choice but to give 200% effort, right?