Enel stood off to the side, his eyes practically glued to the mysterious, glowing rings on his crewmates' hands, a potent mix of pure envy and utter awe swirling within him.
These weren't just beautifully crafted pieces of jewelry; they had the insane ability to store a ridiculous amount of stuff without any regard for size or weight.
Even he, the self-proclaimed God of Skypiea, had always dreamed of a treasure like this!
It was the kind of thing anyone would kill for.
In that moment, whatever ego he had left from his sky-island reign came crashing down on him.
"This is just... unbelievable!" Enel couldn't help but exclaim, his voice filled with genuine admiration.
'Ron is basically a true god! To think he could create something so completely broken... I wonder if the Maxim could fit inside it.' His eyes glazed over at the thought.
'If it could, that would be beyond insane!'
Meanwhile, Izo was just as stunned by the display.
As a user of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, his speed was already off the charts, but he knew he was still a step behind the pure, unadulterated velocity of the Glint-Glint guys.
More importantly, Izo knew his role on the crew.
He wasn't a looter; he was one of the main heavy hitters, a frontline damage dealer.
With that in mind, he wasn't quite as desperate for a Castle Ring as some of the others, though he wouldn't say no to one.
Ron let everyone soak it in for a minute before clearing his throat, his expression turning serious.
"Alright, listen up, everyone."
The room quieted down instantly.
"About these rings," he began slowly, "we need to be smart about how we use them. I know they seem amazing, and they are. They give us incredible convenience, letting us carry a mountain of supplies or even letting us jump inside to dodge an attack in a pinch—"
He paused, making sure he had everyone's complete attention.
"However," he continued, his tone sharp with emphasis, "that convenience comes with a huge risk. When you choose to hide inside your ring, you absolutely have to think about where you're leaving it. Especially when you're up against a strong opponent, don't just jump in there without thinking."
To make sure the point landed, he elaborated.
"Think about it. Once you're inside, you might be safe from whatever's happening outside, but the ring itself is still out there. It's just a tiny object. If an enemy finds it and decides to smash it, or worse, just pockets it and walks away, you're screwed. Totally screwed."
Jozu nodded his head, hanging on Ron's every word.
At this point, if Ron told him to climb a mountain of swords, he'd ask how high.
"Don't worry, Ron! We got it, loud and clear!"
That was all the encouragement they needed.
"Incredible! I can't believe it can even store people. I'm trying it!"
"Me too!"
A wave of excitement swept through the new ring-bearers.
One by one, they focused on their rings and vanished, sucked into the miniature castles.
The rings clattered from where they'd been floating in midair, but before they could hit the floor, their owners popped back out, snatching them from their fall and slipping them carefully back onto their fingers, their eyes sparkling with childish glee.
"Amazing! This is truly amazing!" one of them yelled.
"No more roughing it outdoors for us! Whenever we need a break, we can just pop into the ring for a nap!" another added excitedly.
"Exactly! As long as we hide the ring somewhere safe, who would ever guess an entire squad is tucked inside a tiny piece of jewelry?"
"Hahaha, imagine fooling the Marines with this! They chase us around a corner, we all vanish, and they're left scratching their heads. We could scare them half to death!"
"You guys are evil! If we pull that off, we'll be on the front page of every paper tomorrow!"
"Hahahaha..."
The group was having a blast, brainstorming all the crazy shenanigans they could pull.
The pirates without rings listened in, occasionally shouting out their own devious ideas.
They knew their turn would come eventually, and listening now was like getting a head start.
...
After a massive midday banquet, Neptune, the Princes, Shirahoshi, and half the population of Fish-Man Island sadly saw the Whitebeard Pirates off at the shore.
Sunlight danced on the water's surface, as if the day itself was sad to see them go.
"Newgate, I can't believe you're leaving so soon," Neptune said, his voice heavy with sadness.
"I still have so much fine wine left! You barely drank a tenth of it."
Hearing his old friend said this, Whitebeard let out his signature, booming laugh.
"Gurararara! Neptune, don't you worry! When have I ever been short on booze?" he roared.
"You, on the other hand, need to lighten up. Stop worrying about every little thing."
As he spoke, he cast a very satisfied glance down at the Castle Ring on his finger, it was full of treasure—a treasure he'd 'borrowed' from Neptune's own collection.
He thought with a secret, smug delight.
A tenth of his wine? Heh. More like I took the other nine-tenths with me!
Neptune nodded, understanding his friend's words.
He and the others stood in silence, watching as the massive figures of the Whitebeard Pirates slowly faded into the horizon.
A quiet sorrow hung in the air.
The most touching farewell came from Princess Shirahoshi.
Her eyes were red and puffy, and she was trying her absolute best not to cry.
Finally, she worked up all her courage and, cupping her hands around her mouth, shouted at the top of her lungs.
"Ron-samaaaa! I'm going to come see you one day! You have to wait for me!"
For such an innocent and adorable plea, Ron could only smile gently and call back to her across the water.
"Alright! I'll be waiting for you, Shirahoshi!"
Hearing him say yes, she nodded vigorously.
Though her heart ached with reluctance, she bravely watched until Ron's ship was just a tiny speck on the sea.
Only then did she finally turn to leave.
...
Meanwhile, at the Sabaody Archipelago...
Grove 3, a notorious haven for pirates thanks to its lawless nature, was anything but.
Marines swarmed the groves, their white uniforms a stark contrast to the massive mangrove trees.
Following a direct order, they were turning the whole island upside down, checking every bar, every back alley, every nook and cranny where a pirate might hide.
After days of relentless, methodical searching for any trace of the Whitebeard Pirates, they had come up with absolutely nothing.
Not a single footprint, not a stray hair.
It was as if the legendary crew had vanished into thin air after leaving Fish-Man Island.
The only result of their exhaustive search was that Grove 3, once one of the most dangerous, crime-ridden zones in Sabaody, had been scrubbed so clean by the overwhelming Marine presence that it was now a model of public safety.
The pirates were gone, the smugglers were in hiding, and for the first time in years, the citizens could walk the streets without fear.
The Marines, however, were anything but pleased.
They had found nothing, and the world's strongest pirate crew was still out there, somewhere on the sea, their next move a complete mystery.
But suddenly Kizaru found and empty ship floating near the water of sabaody!
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