Island 2 - Gang vs. Mermaid

You come upon a mermaid, unfortunately caught in a dislodged piece of loose coral. A gang of muckducks, looking menacing and of ill intent, is closing in on her. As you arrive on the scene, she pleads with you to free her so she can escape, but the muckducks interrupt and tell you that she stole several valuable shells from them and they just want to get them back from her. Do you help the mermaid escape from the muckducks or do you help the muckducks retrieve their stolen shells?