"So this is Fairy Tail… Did I use up all my luck just to meet them?"
Vivi murmured softly.
From Erza's and Mirajane's explanations, she finally understood what kind of guild Fairy Tail was.
Simply put: If you're in trouble, they'll be there to help.
"Miss Vivi, have you decided?" Mirajane asked with a gentle smile. "Will you entrust your request to us?"
"Oh—yes! Yes, I will!" Vivi nodded rapidly, like a chick pecking at grain.
She quickly picked up the pen and scribbled her request onto the guild's commission form.
"Is this… is this really enough?" Vivi asked nervously.
It felt unreal—just a few words on paper, and suddenly she could rely on such powerful allies.
"Of course it's not enough," Nami interrupted, her delicate hands rubbing together as her eyes gleamed in the shape of money. "First, we need to talk about the commission fee, Princess."
"O–oh! Yes, of course!" Vivi said quickly, flustered.
"Then…" Nami leaned forward with a merchant's grin. "How much can Her Highness offer for this request?"
"F–fifty… half a million Berries. Would that be enough?" Vivi asked weakly.
That was everything she could personally scrape together.
As a princess, Nami had expected Vivi to be overflowing with riches. But in reality… Vivi's private savings amounted to only half a million.
Unaware of this, Nami twitched in disbelief. She thought she had met her match—a miserly opponent.
After all, Nami had demanded a million from an entire village before. But here was a princess, risking everything for her kingdom… yet so stingy with money.
"Well, Princess," Nami said slyly, mimicking the tone Sugisawa Yuuto once used on her, "a mere half-million for a request of this scale? Doesn't that feel a little… insulting? Is Alabasta really worth only that much?"
"This… I… I know it's not much, but I really only have half a million!" Vivi said helplessly.
"Then please—name your price, Fairy Tail." Igaram finally spoke up, forcing himself to sound decisive.
"In that case…" Nami smirked and held up two fingers.
"Two million?" Vivi's eyes lit up.
Her own funds covered half a million—borrowing the remaining one and a half million wouldn't be impossible.
But Nami shook her head.
"Twenty million then?" Igaram tried cautiously. That would mean dipping into the royal treasury. Alabasta's finances were already strained, but for the country's survival, they'd pay.
Still, Nami shook her head again.
"It… it can't be two hundred million, can it?" Igaram's face went pale.
But Nami's real demand was far beyond his guesses.
"Two billion," she said seriously, eyes gleaming. "As long as two billion Berries are paid, our guild master will guarantee to remove every threat and obstacle standing in your way."
"Two—two billion?!" Vivi and Igaram's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
Alabasta was already on the verge of financial collapse. If another two billion were spent, even if the rebellion was crushed, countless citizens would starve from poverty.
Yet… if they refused, could they alone stop the root cause of the civil war?
If it spread, even more would die.
It was a perfect dilemma.
Neither Igaram nor Vivi dared make the choice.
"Nami," Erza finally frowned. "That asking price is far too much. This isn't Fairy Tail's way."
But before she could go on, Mirajane gently held her back and shook her head. She understood what was happening. Not long ago, the same tactic had been used on Nami herself… and the sting still lingered.
"Of course," Nami continued sweetly, "we know your country is already struggling. Two billion all at once would be impossible. That's why Fairy Tail accepts installments! The down payment is just one Berry. The remaining 1,999,999,999 Berries? You can pay back slowly, with part-time work if necessary."
"Eh? I can… really just pay one Berry now?" Vivi asked in disbelief.
Even if it was real, her head spun at the thought.
"Then it's settled." Sugisawa Yuuto rose to his feet, his calm tone leaving no room for hesitation.
"Since we've accepted the commission, there's no time to waste."
Erza and Mirajane immediately moved to follow him, still supporting the tipsy Juvia between them.
"President!" Nami trotted after Yuuto, her face glowing with pride. "I was the one who took the lead in negotiating that two-billion commission! Shouldn't there be some kind of… reward? Like a share, maybe?" She rubbed her fingers together eagerly.
"I was originally planning to ask for ten billion," Yuuto replied offhandedly.
"H–huh?!" Nami froze.
Behind them, Vivi's legs nearly gave out, and she would've collapsed if not for Karoo the duck catching her.
"T–ten billion?! President, are you serious?" Nami stammered.
"Of course. So now the missing eight billion will be added under your responsibility. You owe me ten billion Berries—minus one, since Vivi already paid the down payment." Yuuto's face was completely serious.
"Eh?! Ehhh?!" Nami's jaw dropped.
What was supposed to be her triumph—securing a massive deal—had somehow turned into her personally owing eight billion more?!
"Ten billion Berries… Even if I never ate or drank again, I couldn't pay that off in three lifetimes!" she wailed.
"Nooo, President, don't joke about something like this!"
Yuuto chuckled, finally letting the mask slip. "Ahahaha… just kidding."