Kaguya Ōtsutsuki gave Naruto a thumbs-up, her expression hard to read. She looked impressed, but also a little rueful.
Naruto muttered to himself. Why does that sound more like a jab than a compliment?
"Naruto, by the time this is over, plenty of people will probably be lining up to thank you for saving their lives. After all, you destroyed the city, but you saved them too."
"But when you get right down to it, you're also the one who caused the whole mess. They just haven't thought of it that way."
"And they keep thanking you."
"That was a ruthless move. I'm almost impressed."
Her feelings were tangled, and she felt uneasy. She couldn't tell whether she was pleased or upset.
The look Kaguya Ōtsutsuki gave him grew even more complicated.
It was an undeniable victory. It had simply come a little too easily—so easily that it left her unsettled.
Naruto smiled.
"I saved them. It's only natural they'd thank me. They'd do the same for anyone else."
Seawater rushed into the channel faster and faster. Its roar grew louder, and the ship rocked with it.
As the water rose more violently, the people aboard began to panic.
The commotion left everyone stunned. They slowed down, afraid to move carelessly.
Naruto, though, wasn't worried at all.
Kaguya Ōtsutsuki raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to go on.
"If I had to guess, Buggy was on the island too, right?"
"I'm remembering that correctly, aren't I?"
"But you didn't seem to bring him in back then. That's a little strange when you think about it."
"With your power, you could've brought him in with a thought. It wouldn't have taken any effort."
Naruto nodded but didn't answer right away.
"I could have, but I didn't plan to bring him in.