Everyone wholeheartedly agree with that he said and after that, Jozu immediately latched onto Ron's arm.
"Ron my bradah," he pleaded, his eyes wide, "Can you give me a Castle Ring? On credit?"
Jozu saw Ron's brow furrow, and he looked a bit hesitant.
That just made the big man plead harder.
"Come on, Ron, I'm begging you! You know I can make back that thirty billion in no time flat with my abilities! If I had a Castle Ring to help out, I could definitely rob... uh, I mean... acquire way more treasure!"
Hearing this, Ron couldn't help but laugh.
He patted Jozu's massive shoulder reassuringly.
"What are you talking about, 'on credit'? we have enough money from sky island to make several ring for everyone."
Ron looked up, his gaze sweeping over the eager faces in the crowd.
You could almost hear their hearts pounding in the quiet hall.
His voice cut through the anticipation, clear and steady.
"We're going to give everyone a major power boost."
"And judging by the current mood, everyone is dying to get their hands on a Castle Ring. So, for our first project, we're making storage rings!"
The moment the words left his mouth, the room exploded into an uproar.
Everyone turned to each other, a mirror of pure, unadulterated excitement in their eyes.
They were ecstatic!
Having their own storage ring wasn't just a personal power-up; it meant they could be way more useful in a fight.
But just as their joy was about to boil over, Ron's next words made a few hearts sink.
"However," he said slowly, letting the word hang in the air, "To make the most of what we've got, I'm planning to give this first batch of newly made rings to the division commanders and the crew members with a speed advantage."
The guys who were already daydreaming about what they'd store in their rings deflated a little.
But before any real disappointment could set in, they understood his logic.
"Think about it," Ron explained. "In the middle of a battle, these are the guys who can get things done the fastest. They can loot enemy storehouses or grab important supplies in a flash. Giving the rings to them first is way more efficient than handing them out to everyone. It makes sure we're using our new gear in the smartest way possible."
As his reasoning settled in, most of the crew nodded in agreement, even if a few still felt a pang of regret.
They got it.
This wasn't about playing favorites; it was a strategy.
A plan like this would give the entire crew's fighting power a serious upgrade, which was better than just a few guys getting a cool new toy.
And so, with a chorus of support, the plan was set.
The Glint-Glint Fruit users were practically over the moon.
They started chattering excitedly amongst themselves.
When it came to pure movement speed, they were even faster than the Rumble-Rumble Fruit users, putting them at the top of the list.
The others weren't bitter, though.
Ron's words had convinced them.
Castle Rings were rare and precious, and passing them out like candy right now would be a waste.
"Vice-Captain Ron, we'll leave it to you! We all support your decision!" one of the crewmen shouted.
"That's right! I'm just a brawler anyway. I'm not in a rush for one of those rings. Just give me one whenever you've got a spare!" another burly pirate added with a grin.
Soon, more voices joined in.
"Me too! Let the fast guys have them first! Just make sure you remember to bring back some good booze for the rest of us!"
Laughter filled the hall as everyone echoed the sentiment.
The Glint-Glint users puffed out their chests.
"Don't you worry, brothers! Whether it's fine wine or piles of gold, we won't leave a single Berry behind for the enemy!"
"Hahahaha, that's the spirit! It's time to show those bastards the true power of our Glint-Glint Sweeping Squad!"
With everyone on board, Ron wasted no time and got right to work making the rings.
He kept calling them "Space Rings" out of habit, but the rest of the crew had already enthusiastically dubbed them "Castle Rings."
Ron didn't mind.
A name was just a name; what really mattered was what the ring could do.
According to his budget, the two hundred and sixty billion Berries was enough to manufacture eight rings.
That left twenty billion left over, which he'd have to save for the next batch.
...
The next morning, sunlight streamed through the castle windows, illuminating seven Glint-Glint users gathered in the main hall.
They were buzzing with an electric energy, because today was the day they'd receive their legendary storage rings.
Of course, one of the precious rings had already been given to Whitebeard.
For the old man, this was the best news he'd heard in ages.
From now on, no matter where he was, he could enjoy the finest food and drink whenever he pleased.
He'd already had Ron configure the space inside his ring to his liking: two-thirds of the massive castle interior was now a personal wine cellar, stocked with everything from strong rum to mellow ales.
As for the other third, he had his own plans.
...
Jozu stood off to the side, clutching his own brand-new ring, his diamond-hard eyes wide with disbelief.
"I... I got one too?" he mumbled to himself, his voice thick with surprise and gratitude.
He looked at Ron, his expression crumbling.
"Thank you, Ron! You're too damn generous! You're like... you're like a second father to me!"
As he spoke, huge tears started welling up in his eyes, carving paths down his rugged cheeks.
"I swear, I'll pay you back as soon as I can," he said, his voice choking with sobs.
"Waaaaah... this is the romance of men!"
He immediately started testing out his new prize, making random objects around him vanish and reappear in his hand.
A huge, satisfied grin spread across his face.
"This is amazing! So easy to use!"
The other six Glint-Glint users also received their rings and got the hang of them in no time.
"With a castle's worth of storage space, those other pirates are gonna weep!"
"Haha, we might not be the strongest fighters, but clearing out a warehouse is what we do best!"
"I guarantee it! They won't even see the blur as I clean them out!"
----
ugh this budgeting is annoying to deal with, please chalk it up as they were having 280 billion berries left.
A cost for enchanted fruit is 1 billion each.
Haki replacement fruit cost 10 billion.
Item enchanted fruit cost 30 billion.