Are you wondering if Ace dies in One Piece? Spoiler alert! If you haven’t had the chance to catch up with One Piece, and you don’t want to be spoiled by the happenings in the series, we strongly suggest you turn back now.
Portgas D. Ace is a major character in One Piece. He was introduced early on in the show as Luffy’s older brother, however, his purpose in the series wasn’t established until the infamous Marineford Arc.
Here’s the short answer: Yes, Ace dies in One Piece. He died so he could save Luffy from Marine Admiral Akainu’s fierce magma attack.
Why Was Ace Captured?
Ace was the 2nd Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates. He sailed the seas with his crew under Edward Newgate, their captain. During his first appearance in Alabasta, he told Luffy that he was searching the seas for his subordinate who went against the law of the Whitebeard pirates. This subordinate was later identified as the antagonist, Blackbeard D. Teach.
As the commander, Ace wanted to discipline his subordinate. When he found Teach at Banaro Island, they had a duel. But because of Teach’s recently acquired devil fruit, Ace lost this duel.
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How Did Luffy Know Ace Was Captured?
Back in Alabasta, Ace gave Luffy a Vivre Card which he explains is a way for them to meet again.
After Kuma separated the straw hats at Sabaody, Luffy landed on the all-women Island, Amazon Lily. The old woman in Amazon Lily reads a newspaper that had news about the execution. This is when Luffy finds out that the Marines had captured Ace and he will soon be executed at Marineford.
Luffy immediately sets sail for Enies Lobby where Ace was, but because of certain circumstances, he wasn’t able to reach him right away. So Luffy, along with Buggy, Crocodile, Jinbei, and other inmates set sail for Marineford.
At Marineford, we see that the Marines, led by Fleet Admiral Sengoku preparing themselves for the greatest battle in history. They were well aware that capturing Ace would mean waging war against one of the four emperors of the sea, Whitebeard. But, they still pushed through with it anyway.
Is Ace the Son of Gol D. Roger?
Before the execution, Sengoku makes a shocking revelation. Ace was the son of the notorious Pirate King, Gol D. Roger. For this reason, he states, it is more sensible that he should be executed because “the blood of the devil courses through his veins.”
While all that was happening on the platform, Luffy was slowly making his way up to save his brother. Before the swords could even touch Ace’s neck, Luffy sets him free and they both join the ongoing war between the Whitebeard Pirates and the Marines.
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Who Kills Portgas D. Ace?
Luffy and Ace began fighting the marines who were standing in their way. However, before they both could make it back, Admiral Akainu decided he would talk ill of Whitebeard in front of ace. This led to Ace being irritated because of what Akainu had said, and decided he would fight back. But unfortunately, he lost this fight too.
After knocking down Ace, Akainu went for Luffy who was trying to retrieve Ace’s Vivre card. Akainu then prepares to kill Luffy with his magma attack when Ace suddenly jumps in their midst and protects Luffy from the attack. Clueless, Luffy looks up to see his brother with a huge hole in the chest standing in front of him.
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Why Did Ace Die in One Piece?
Portgas D. Ace was a sacrifice. A lot of development came after his death. A major one would be Luffy’s. The Marineford War was the reason why Luffy decided to train for two more years so he could become stronger. Evidently so, after the time skip, he was able to control his Conqueror’s Haki which was first seen during the war.
Later on, it is also revealed that Ace’s death triggered the return of Sabo’s memories. Sabo recalls this when he and Luffy meet in Dressrosa during a battle for the Mera Mera no Mi, Ace’s devil fruit.
Many fans were shocked to see the death of a major character in the series, especially since Oda never really killed off a character during the past arcs. However, the Marineford War itself and the deaths of Ace and Whitebeard became significant as the story moved forward.
In Which Episode Did Ace Die in One Piece?
Ace died in Episode 483 of One Piece. He became mortally wounded in Episode 482. The sequence of events that lead to his death in the anime began in Episode 457. It marks the beginning of the Marine Ford Arc.
In the One Piece manga, Ace dies in chapter 574. The chapter was released way back on February 15, 2010.
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