One Piece is a popular anime that covers friendship, adventure, mystery, action and even tragedy flawlessly. The well-written characters make the series all the more captivating. Portgas D. Ace is one of the fan-favorites, even over a decade after his death.
His death was heartbreaking as well as a major turning point in the series. Following Ace's death, Luffy decides to meet his crew two later and trains with Rayleigh to improve his devil fruit abilities and haki. He was introduced in the "Alabasta" arc as Luffy's brother. As the second division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, Ace was a strong fighter with a bounty of 550 million berries. Thus, one can only imagine how shocking it was for him to die like that.
How Does Ace Die?
Being a top-ranking commander under one of the four emperors of the sea is only one of the reasons for his being captured by the Marines. He was also Gol D. Roger's son, the King of the Pirates. His lineage and strength were the main reasons why the navy tries to make him a warlord. Ace never agrees to that, so he becomes one of the most wanted criminals.
When the series introduces him in the "Alabasta" arc, Ace is looking to capture Blackbeard. Blackbeard betrays the Whitebeard pirates by killing their first division commander and stealing the Yami Yami no Mi. Ace, being his direct commander, feels responsible for his crimes and sets out to sea alone in his pursuit. Ace reunites with Luffy after a long time and also meets the Straw Hats Pirates.
However, things take a drastic turn when Blackbeard defeats Ace and hands him to the Marines in exchange for becoming a Warlord. The Marines utilize this opportunity to the fullest and announce Ace's public execution to capture the Whitebeard Pirates as well. What follows is a full-scale war between the pirates and the Marines. Luffy also arrives to save Ace along with the allies he meets in Impel Down. When the war is ongoing, Akainu finds a chance to land a fatal blow to Luffy.
Ace appears to save him and gets impaled by Akainu's fist. He thanks Luffy for loving him and dies in his brother's arms. Although a popular character, fans only know glimpses of his past from when he was a child and was yet to join the Whitebeard Pirates. However, the audience comes to know more about him in the "Wano" arc. His promise to Otama and friendship with Yamato make fans relive his tragic death once more.
When Does Ace Visit Wano?
Ace sets off to sea in hopes of being known by everyone in the world. Upon arriving in the New World, he tracks down Shanks and tells him about Luffy. Ace also asks him about the scar that Blackbeard gave Shanks. Almost four years before the current timeline, Ace, along with his crew, the Spade Pirates, arrive in Wano. There, they see the devastating situation of the people who are left to suffer at the hands of Kaido and Orochi.
Ace helps them acquire food and water, forming a special bond with the people in the process. The Spade Pirates even try to fight Kaido and free Wano from him. However, when they reach Onigashima, Kaido is out on an expedition along with the top members of the Beast Pirates. Ace damages Kaido's castle and meets Yamato, Kaido's daughter. Following that fruitless battle, Ace leaves Wano, swearing to return and take Kaido's head.
Ace's Connection With Otama and Yamato
For both Otama and Yamato, Ace was a special existence. Ace meets Otama shortly after arriving in Wano and befriends her. The people in her town are suffering from food and water shortages. Ace tells her that he will make Wano into a country where she can eat as much as she wants. Otama starts looking up at him and asks him to take her to the sea with him. However, she is still too young at this time. He makes another promise to take her with him if she becomes a Kunoichi by the next time he arrives in Wano. Since the time Ace left Wano, Tama was holding on to that promise. However, as the Land of Wano is cut off from the rest of the world, she never finds out about his death.
Meanwhile, Ace meets Yamato when he is destroying Kaido's castle. Yamato fights him out of boredom, but the two become friends quickly. They bond over sake when Ace tells her about Luffy. Yamato makes a Vivre card for him and takes a piece for herself, and they both bid farewell with a promise to meet again.
Why Ace's Death Hits Different After the Wano Arc
Ever since the "Dressrosa" arc, Ace has been mentioned quite a few times. Whitebeard mentions after Ace's death that just like there will be someone to inherit Roger's will, someone will come to inherit Ace's as well. In Dressrosa, Luffy reunites with his long-lost brother Sabo, who later not only inherits Ace's will but also his powers from the Mera Mera no Mi. Sabo's recollection of their past is agonizing, but viewers had yet more in store.
During the "Wano" arc, Ace is an important character even if fans only see him in flashbacks. When Luffy arrives in Wano, he learns about Otama's connection with Ace and that she has been waiting without knowing the truth. The way Luffy nonchalantly says that Ace died two years prior angers Otama, although she regrets this later when Nami tells her that Ace is Luffy's brother. For Yamato, it is even more tragic since she keeps Ace's Vivre card. She notices when his life is in danger and when he finally dies. However, she is a captive of her father, Kaido. Unable to escape from confinement, she can only watch Ace's Vivre card disappear right in front of her.
Moreover, the way Oda Eiichiro shows the resemblance between the two brothers makes the viewers relive the tragedy again. Luffy makes the same promise to Otama as Ace did back then. Yamato talks about her past with Luffy and tells him that he reminds her of Ace. Since she knew about Luffy, she had been waiting for him to come to Wano and join her to defeat Kaido.
Although Luffy and Ace weren't real brothers, they were raised together. Their recklessness and kindness were the same. Although the viewers already knew this, for some reason, it's even more evident in the "Wano" arc. The way Luffy masks his sadness whenever Ace is mentioned reminds the audience of how devastated he was when Ace died.