How does Ramone mature in The Black Pearl?

The Black Pearl is a classic coming-of-age story. The protagonist, Ramon, matures considerably over the course of the book, turning from a naive, arrogant boy into a wise, respectful young man.
As the story opens, Ramon, like a lot of boys his age, is keen to prove himself. He looks up to the Sevillano, his father's best diver, and wants to be just like him. He figures that if he goes diving in the nearby lagoon, he will impress the Sevillano, as the lagoon is a dangerous place, allegedly home to a gigantic manta ray called the Manta Diablo. ("Diablo" is the Spanish word for "devil," which gives you some idea of how deadly this creature is supposed to be). This is the story told to Ramon by a local Indian man by the name of Soto Luzon, who warns him not to go diving in the lagoon.
But the immature Ramon is so determined to impress the Sevillano that he doesn't think of the dangers involved. He just brushes off Soto's warnings as a piece of superstitious nonsense that he can safely ignore. Once Ramon retrieves the pearl, his father donates it to the local church in the hope that it will ensure the safety of his fleet.
Sadly, it doesn't work out like that. Ramon's father and almost his entire crew are lost at sea in what appears to be a tragic accident. It would seem that Soto was right after all; Ramon shouldn't have gone diving in the lagoon and shouldn't have stolen the Pearl of Heaven from the Manta Diablo.
It is at this point in the story that Ramon starts to show some much-needed maturity. He takes the Pearl of Heaven from the church, determined to give it back to Manta Diablo. Though a much older man, the Sevillano is nowhere near as wise as Ramon. When he sees Ramon about to give the pearl back to the giant manta ray, he steals the pearl himself, only to end up being dragged beneath the waves to his death by the Manta Diablo.
By the end of the book, we can see that Ramon has realized how important it is to respect certain customs and traditions. This is an important part of growing up, yet is something that all too many adults, who really should know better, fail to appreciate.