The Novelist System: Writing Story From Memory
Chapter 8: The Marine Boy's Dream
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[In the Novel]
The waves lapped quietly against the dock of Shells Town. Smoke still lingered faintly from the broken walls of the Marine base, though the chaos had faded. The sun was dipping toward the horizon, painting the sky in streaks of orange and crimson.
Coby stood on the pier, gripping the brim of his small hat tightly.
Luffy and Zoro's boat had already drifted far enough that only their silhouettes were visible against the gold-tinted sea.
Coby clenched his jaw.
He had made his choice.
Behind him, footsteps approached. A group of lower-ranking Marines, many bruised and battered from the earlier skirmish, gathered with uncertainty.
One of them, a young man barely older than Coby, stepped forward.
"Hey, uh… you helped take down Captain Morgan, didn't you?"
Coby turned around. "Yeah."
The Marine scratched his head. "He was a tyrant. We hated him. But we were too scared to act. I just… I don't know what to do now."
Coby looked at the cracked Marine base behind them. Then he looked out to the sea again.
"I want to join the Marines," he said firmly. "But not like Morgan. I want to protect people."
A few of the Marines looked at each other.
Another older one stepped forward. "You've got guts, kid. Maybe we need someone like you to clean this place up."
Coby's eyes widened. "You… you'll let me stay?"
The man nodded. "We'll report Morgan's abuse to HQ. With him gone, we'll need new leadership anyway."
Coby felt a lump in his throat.
"I won't let you down."
He turned back to the sea.
"…Thank you, Luffy."
—
[At Sea]
The small boat creaked gently as it rode the soft waves.
Zoro sat cross-legged, whetting the edge of one of his blades. He didn't speak often, but he stole glances at Luffy now and then, still unsure how someone so ridiculous could also be so… serious.
Luffy sat at the rear, gazing at the open ocean.
"Zoro."
"Mm?"
"Do you think Coby will make it?"
Zoro didn't look up. "He's got the guts. Whether that's enough… depends."
Luffy nodded. "He will."
Zoro looked up now. "You believe in people too easily."
Luffy just grinned. "That's what makes it fun."
Zoro shook his head with a small smile.
"You're an idiot."
—
[Back in Arlen's World]
The blue glow of Arlen's monitor lit up the dark room. He stretched his fingers before cracking his neck. His tea had gone cold, untouched for hours.
[System: Chapter 8 Complete. Words: 2850]
He hovered over the Upload button for a moment before clicking it.
Instantly, reader activity surged.
[Reader: Sky_Lion248]
Coby's moment hit HARD. That scene on the dock? Goosebumps.
[Reader: SilverType]
I really thought Luffy and Zoro leaving Coby behind would feel empty.
[Reader: CoffeeAndChapters]
The pacing… is perfect. Please don't rush this.
Arlen smiled faintly. The comments didn't feed his ego—they soothed something quieter, something deeper inside him.
He reached for the cold tea, took a sip, then made a face.
Bitter.
Still, he placed it beside him and opened a new page.
As the cursor blinked at the top of the empty chapter, he murmured to himself,
"Next is… the pirate clown."
He started typing.
—
[Inside the Novel]
Several days later.
A new island emerged on the horizon, colorful flags fluttering above worn rooftops and a towering tent-shaped structure at the town's center. Laughter echoed faintly, carried by the wind.
Zoro stood at the edge of the boat, eyes narrowing.
"That place is… loud."
Luffy cupped his hands to his mouth. "Sounds like a festival."
They sailed closer.
From afar, one could already see painted signs: Buggy the Clown – The Great Pirate King!
Zoro raised an eyebrow. "A clown?"
Luffy's eyes lit up. "I want to meet him."
Zoro sighed. "Of course you do."
As their boat drifted toward the shore, neither noticed the telescope aimed at them from the top of a tower.
Inside a makeshift circus-themed base, a round, red-nosed man chuckled with glee.
"Another fool coming to my town?"
Buggy spun a knife between his fingers.
"Let's welcome them properly."
—
Back in Arlen's Room
He paused his typing, rereading the last few paragraphs.
Then he hit save.
The system glowed softly.
[System: Chapter 9 Draft Saved. Would you like to preview?]
Arlen smiled.
"Not yet."
He leaned back in his chair, arms folded behind his head, as his eyes lingered on the word Buggy.
"…Now things start getting fun."
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Thanks For Reading
By Mr.Midnight_21
To be continued…
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Author's Note:
Hey everyone, author here!
Just a quick note—I'm planning to finish the East Blue saga soon so I can introduce some new story (New Novel book base on Popular anime) . To speed things up, I've trimmed or skipped a few scenes for better pacing.
Also, I'm just a novice writer, so I might make mistakes here and there... please don't curse me! :{
Thanks for reading and supporting this story. I really appreciate it!
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Next up: Chapter 9 – Enter Buggy the Clown