Portgas D. Ace

Whitebeard, having heard that Ace intended to take his head, suddenly arrived with his crew and the Moby Dick, just after the battle between Jinbe and Ace. Whitebeard told his crew that he alone would be enough, and proceeded to attack Ace's crew. After a fierce battle, Ace stood his ground and separated Whitebeard from his crew with a wall of flames. Although his battered crew protested, he ordered them to leave, all the while confronting Whitebeard (who called him an "impertinent brat"). On the verge of death, Ace was offered by Whitebeard to join his crew, becoming one of his "sons." Ace fiercely refused, but was knocked out and dragged aboard Whitebeard's ship. Ace's crew managed to rescue him, despite being beaten by their captors and held captive on the ship along with their captain. By the time Ace arrived, he was already recognized as one of Whitebeard's crew and watched as all his comrades gradually integrated into the crew's divisions. To ensure his crewmates' survival, Ace remained aboard the ship. On a hundred occasions, he tried to kill the old man, but each time, Whitebeard easily repelled him.

Also, during this time, Ace and his crew went to Onigashima to kill Kaido and rescue the kidnapped children. Kaido was away on an expedition, so Ace never encountered him or any of his top subordinates. After significantly damaging Kaido's castle, Ace met Yamato, who decided to fight him out of boredom. During the fight, Yamato smashed the dragon statue at the island's entrance to show his disdain for Kaido. Ace left a mark on the statue and took responsibility for breaking it. Afterward, Ace and Yamato got to know each other and became friends. At some point, Ace decided to meet with Shanks to thank him for taking care of Luffy. During their party, they talked about Marshall D. Teach and Ace's plan to defeat Whitebeard. Upon hearing about the simultaneous attacks on Whitebeard's territories, Ace decided to try to defeat him right then and there. While in one of his territories, he encountered Jinbe, who was aware of Ace's strength and decided to fight him to prevent him from challenging Whitebeard (the man who owed him a debt for protecting his home on Fish-Man Island). After five days of battle, both collapsed from exhaustion, resulting in a draw.

The Spade Pirates arrived at Fish-Man Island, where Ace spoke with Aladine about the protection the island enjoyed under Whitebeard and Jinbe. Just before leaving, Deuce told his captain that his bounty had now exceeded 100,000,000 Belly, and they departed after burning Whitebeard's flag. One day, the crew reached Wano Country, shipwrecking on Kuri Beach. Unconscious, they were captured by the citizens of Amigasa Village, who stole all their food and water. After they finished eating, Ace freed himself from his ropes, relieved that everyone had eaten well. The crew then stayed in the village for a few weeks. Tama grew particularly fond of Ace, who promised her that he would return for her someday.

At seventeen, Ace left Mount Colubo and began his life as a pirate. Shortly after, Ace was shipwrecked on Sixis Island, where he met Masked Deuce. Several days later, both starving, they found a fruit and, after a fight, decided to share it. Ace ate it first, realizing it was the Mera Mera Fruit, thus gaining its powers. Afterward, Masked Deuce joined him, and they built the Striker to escape. The Spade Pirates quickly gained fame and crew members, becoming the target of Isuka's pursuit. On one occasion, the pirates managed to sink her ship against a reef, and the crew saved the ensign when she jumped into the sea to rescue her subordinates. [18] When they arrived at the Sabaody Archipelago, after feeding some poor children, Ace encountered Isuka and Vice Admiral Draw, who offered him a place among the Seven Warlords of the Sea. After Ace refused, the vice admiral attempted to kill him, but Ace ultimately defeated him after awakening Busoshoku Haki. Ace then offered Isuka a place on his crew, but she stated that she wished to remain a Marine.

Ace finds Luffy lying face down, mourning Sabo's death. When Luffy begs Ace not to die like Sabo, Ace promises him that he will never die, no matter what happens. Ace reminds Luffy of their promise to be freer than anyone else. The two then continue their training and grow stronger. Ace asks Makino to teach him how to greet someone properly because he plans to thank Shanks. Ace and Luffy continue their hunts and fights until it's time for Ace to set sail.

After the fire and Sabo's fall into the hands of the World Nobles, Ace returns with an injured Dadan on his back. Luffy greets him crying, and Ace, annoyed that Luffy actually thought he was dead, hits him on the head, telling him to stop believing that people die. He explains how he and Dadan managed to defeat Bluejam, and luckily, they escaped to Midway Forest and hid on the riverbank, telling them that he stole some medical supplies from the city to desperately try to stabilize Dadan's life. A few hours later, he explains to Dadan why he didn't run back when they faced Bluejam. He tells her that at some point, the blood rushes to his head, and he worries that if he runs away, he'll lose something important. He tells her that Luffy was following him. Dogura tells them about what happened to Sabo, and an outraged Ace jumps on him, saying he won't forgive him, even if it was a joke. Luffy and Ace then realize that Sabo was never happy when he left them, and while Luffy breaks down in tears, Ace goes out to beat up whoever killed him. Dadan stops him, yelling that Sabo's killer was the world, the country he lived in. To calm him down, the bandits tie Ace to a tree, while Luffy spent the entire night crying. The next morning, a letter arrived, sent by Sabo before he left to become a pirate. He explained that by the time they read it, he would already be at sea, that he hoped they would be reunited, and that he wished Ace would take care of his younger brother. When Ace read the last part of the letter, he burst into tears.

Ace and Luffy were in the custody of the Bluejam Pirates. Ace and Luffy joined the crew at the captain's request and then transported the cargo to the designated locations in Gray Terminal with the other pirates. Later, Bluejam revealed to Ace and Luffy that the cargo they had transported was oil and gunpowder, and that Gray Terminal would be engulfed in flames. Ace and Luffy reacted with outrage and were detained by the pirates. Bluejam informed them that they could no longer be spared and demanded the location of their treasure. Later that night, the flames began, and Ace and Luffy, in desperation, managed to free themselves from their restraints. Ace and Luffy began to run for their lives, but they encountered Bluejam and his crew, who demanded to know where Ace and Sabo had hidden their loot. Ace briefly unleashed his Haki when Bluejam told him that Sabo was merely using them. Dadan comes to the rescue and tries to take Ace and Luffy to safety. Ace refuses to run away from the fight and stays with Dadan, while Luffy and the rest of the bandits escape.

Ace, Sabo, and Luffy fought each other, hunting alligators and beating up thugs. In the central city of the Goa Kingdom, the trio left without paying for dinner, and while fleeing, they heard a man calling Sabo's name. Back in the forest, Sabo revealed that he was born into a noble family and the man calling him was his father. Regardless, Ace and Luffy continued to consider Sabo their friend. After the trio made a declaration of what they wanted to achieve in the future, they shared a drink and became brothers. They continued having adventures, hunting animals, and at one point, they had a party with Dadan, Slap Wood, and Makino, also getting beaten up by Garp every time he visited. One day, the trio was confronted by Sabo's father and the Bluejam Pirates. To save Ace and Luffy, Sabo went with his father, while Ace shouted at him, Sabo walked away crying.

Ace goes to Gray Terminal and meets up with his friend Sabo. Ace and Sabo had been collecting money for a pirate ship. Ace handed over his share, and Sabo placed it in a secret location. Luffy appeared, and Ace and Sabo tied him to a tree. Ace said they should kill Luffy to keep their plan a secret, and Sabo agreed. However, both Ace and Sabo had difficulty deciding who should complete the task, as they had never killed anyone before. They heard someone approaching and took Luffy to hide. Ace realized that the person he had stolen the money from was Porchemy of the Bluejam Pirates. Ace and Sabo noticed Luffy disappear and then saw that he had been captured by Porchemy. Both Ace and Sabo witnessed Luffy being kidnapped by Porchemy. Fearing that Luffy might tell Porchemy, Ace and Sabo took all their money and treasure and moved it to another location. They managed to move all the money and treasure to a new hiding place at sunset. Sabo, who went to check the old hideout, informed Ace that Luffy hadn't said anything to Porchemy, much to Ace's surprise. Ace and Sabo then went to rescue Luffy and defeated Porchemy. Ace learned from Luffy that he, like himself, had no parents, and that the reason he followed Ace was because he didn't want to be alone. After that, Luffy joined Ace and Sabo, and together they began to make a name for themselves.

Ace's father, Gol D. Roger, was executed while Ace's mother, Portgas D. Rouge, was still pregnant with him. She carried him for twenty months to protect him from the World Government, who were trying to erase all traces of Roger's blood. A year and three months after the execution, Ace was born in Baterilla, in the South Blue. His mother only lived long enough to name him. Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp secretly adopted Ace as a favor from Roger, and Ace was moved to Foosha Village in the East Blue. Ace was left in the care of Garp's friend, Dadan, who became his adoptive mother. He later met Luffy when Garp also left him with her because of Shanks's influence over him. After their first meeting, Ace spat at Luffy and gave him a sinister look, which Luffy nervously returned. After lunch, Ace left the house, and Luffy decided to follow him. Luffy said he wasn't bothered that Ace had spat on him (since it wasn't something to get angry about) and also wanted them to be friends. Ace responded by knocking down a tree near Luffy. Ace crossed a bridge, and Luffy followed. Ace noticed Luffy and threw him off the bridge. He returned to Dadan's house without Luffy and without any concern for him. Luffy returned a week later. When Ace left, Luffy followed him, hoping to start a friendship, only to be rejected by Ace.

Ace consumed the Mera Mera Fruit: a Logia-type Devil Fruit that allowed him to transform into and generate the element of fire, as well as control flames, from his body, thus earning him the reputation of "Fire Fist Ace." Ace unleashed his immense power, easily destroying an entire fleet of Baroque Works ships. His primary fighting style is launching columns of fire and delivering a powerful punch (his signature as "Fire Fist"). He is immune to physical attacks (they will only pass through his body composed of fire).

Aside from the powers he gained after eating a Devil Fruit, Ace possessed immense physical strength. Signs of his formidable physical potential were evident from a young age, as he was able to defeat some local bullies who claimed his father "deserved to die," and he was also shown sitting atop a massive animal (possibly a bull) that he killed with his staff when he and Luffy first met. Later, he was shown easily uprooting a large tree. Ace was already incredibly strong when he left home three years before Luffy did the same.

Ace demonstrated his strength during his fight against Blackbeard: he withstood several powerful punches from Blackbeard (the first drew blood, and the second nearly broke his nose), and he retaliated. Van Augur noted that, as the commander of the Whitebeard Pirates' second division, Ace's basic combat skills were formidable, even without his Devil Fruit powers.

He fought Jinbe on equal terms. They nearly killed each other after fighting for five days. Ace also survived a fight against Whitebeard himself, which took place immediately afterward, demonstrating his endurance and durability. He was also one of the few people who received the "baptism" in boiling water at Impel Down without flinching (which is considered impressive).

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Devil Fruit
Main article: Mera Mera Fruit
Ace using his powers
Ace generating fire around himself.
Ace consumed the Mera Mera Fruit: a Logia-type Devil Fruit that allowed him to transform into and generate the element of fire, as well as control flames from his body, thus earning him the reputation of "Fire Fist Ace." Ace unleashed his immense power, easily destroying an entire fleet of Baroque Works ships. His main fighting style is throwing columns of fire, delivering a punch (his signature as "Fire Fist").

As commander of the Whitebeard Pirates' second division, Ace held authority over his lower-ranking subordinates. Furthermore, as one of the Whitebeard Pirates' commanders, he was one of the strongest and most famous pirates, under Whitebeard's protection. While captain of the Spade Pirates, he was offered a position as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, but he declined. Luffy mentions that he was never able to defeat Ace, despite possessing the power of the Gomu Gomu no Mi. Ace was trained by Garp, who hoped to make him a Marine, and possibly Dadan; both were responsible for training Ace to reach a certain level before he became a pirate. Ace also gained a fearsome reputation. This was revealed when he received the letter inviting him to join the Seven Warlords of the Sea while captain of the Spade Pirates, an offer he refused. After joining the Whitebeard Pirates, a civilian was seen commenting that Ace's strength was "otherworldly." The World Government granted Blackbeard the title of Warlord of the Sea after he defeated and captured Ace. His reputation and abilities earned him a bounty of 550,000,000 bolivars. The greatest testament to his strength is his ability to fight, on equal terms, against Yamato, Kaido's daughter, and emerge virtually unscathed from their encounter.

Ace met Yamato between three and five years ago, when he went to Onigashima to kill Kaido. They both shared a disdain for their parents. After fighting each other, they drank and became friends. Ace told Yamato about the various pirates who were starting to cause trouble at sea (Cavendish, Kid, Law, Bege) and mentioned Luffy. Yamato expressed his desire to go to sea, but he couldn't because of the shackles that kept him from leaving Onigashima. So, Ace promised him that he would return to Wano someday.

She was the one who taught him good manners. Furthermore, she felt great affection for him and Luffy. She always tried to look after them when they were children, even though Ace always blushed.

Curly Dadan, a bandit who was blackmailed by Garp, became Ace and Luffy's adoptive mother. When Ace nearly killed villagers for insulting his father, Dadan was angry with the boy for his actions; Ace sarcastically remarked that he regretted his victims hadn't died. Dadan also showed weariness with dealing with Ace, giving the impression that she would refuse to do so if Garp weren't holding her gang's crimes hostage. However, when the Goan Nobles burned down Gray Terminal, Dadan led her bandits to Hell to find Ace, Luffy, and Sabo, and when Ace refused to back down from confronting Bluejam, Dadan told the bandits to take Luffy to safety while she stayed by Ace's side. The two cared deeply for one another, as seen when Ace saved Dadan from being burned alive and was willing to steal medicine to treat her injuries. When Ace decided to become a pirate, she was angry, but when she heard Ace's message, "Thank you for everything," as he left the island, it seemed Ace liked Dadan. Before his death, he asked Luffy to tell him what he thought.

Vice Admiral Garp adopted Ace as a favor to Roger, to give Ace a life free from the stigma of being born into a pirate family. Although he saw Garp as family, he disapproved of his violent behavior towards Luffy. At one point, he warned him to stop abusing Luffy, calling him a "piece of shit." Garp, who had promised to make the two brothers good Marines, was furious when he discovered that Ace had gone ahead and become a pirate. Although respectful of his "grandfather," Ace lamented that he and Luffy could never have become Marines. He disagreed with Garp and remained grounded in the idea that it wouldn't have been possible to become Marines when their parents were world-class criminals. Garp, in turn, showed extreme sadness over Ace's execution and wept over Ace's choice of a pirate life.

Because Roger died before he was born, Ace felt he owed him nothing, so he chose his mother's name, who died protecting him. Oddly, despite Ace's apparent dislike for his father, childhood memories reveal that he brutally beat anyone who spoke ill of him.

Rouge was Ace's mother, carrying him in her womb for twenty months to protect the innocent child from the clutches of the World Government. Ace was born a year and three months after Roger's death. Rouge was five months pregnant when they resorted to some unknown method (assumed by Marines to be sheer willpower) to postpone the birth. Just before dying, Rouge named him Gol D. Ace. However, Ace, grateful to his mother for her sacrifice, chose to take her surname.

Sabo is Ace's adoptive brother, having been adopted by him for ten years. They had planned to become pirates, saving money to buy a pirate ship (a joint effort that began five years before Luffy followed Ace and Sabo to Gray Terminal). Sabo was one of the two people Ace considered a "brother," along with Luffy. When Sabo was presumed dead at the hands of Saint Jalmack, Ace attempted revenge but was stopped by Dadan. He later mourned the loss of his brother, despite telling Luffy that men shouldn't cry. Before dying, Ace mentioned Sabo as one of the reasons he had wanted to live.

As children, Ace was initially distant and hostile towards Luffy, but later, as he grew older, he became protective of him, particularly from Garp, even insulting his grandfather in an attempt to stop his abusive behavior towards Luffy. When they met in Alabasta, Ace said he had to take care of his younger brother; later, when he encountered Blackbeard, he told him he wouldn't allow him to kill Luffy. Ace gave Luffy a Vivre Card so they could reunite later. In the past, when they were children, they were very close and always trained hard to become great adventurers. Although they are not blood brothers, Ace considers Luffy his brother. This is demonstrated when he tells Whitebeard that Luffy is his younger brother, showing him his bounty poster. In turn, Luffy also considers Ace his older brother, despite knowing that Roger is his father.

Whitebeard Pirates
Ace initially attempted to take Whitebeard's head, but was defeated. Whitebeard invited him to become one of his sons, which Ace flatly refused. Despite this, Whitebeard kidnapped the entire Spade Pirates and added them to his crew. Afterward, Whitebeard's crew began interacting with him and became good friends. Ace and Marco also seemed to have a grudge against anyone who harmed them.
Whitebeard immediately mobilized his crew and allies after learning of Ace's impending execution. The Whitebeard Pirates arrived at Marineford, along with many allies from powerful pirate crews, and went to war against the Marines and the World Government. In fact, one of the reasons the Whitebeard Pirates defended Luffy was because he was Ace's beloved brother.

Spade Pirates
Ace was extremely loyal to the Spade Pirates (the crew he himself formed). When he knew they had no chance against Whitebeard, he created a wall of fire so they could escape, staying behind to face Whitebeard alone. The Spade Pirates shared his loyalty. Despite their previous beating at Whitebeard's hands, they challenged the Whitebeard Pirates, hoping to rescue their captain, but were beaten and captured along with him. Ace persisted and attacked Whitebeard over a hundred times, even while he slept, defeating him with a single blow and being thrown overboard many times. He earned the position of captain of the second division. The Spade Pirates, who are now part of Whitebeard's crew, mourned his death. In the novel about Ace, Ace seemed to share a particular bond with Deuce, whom he met while stranded on an island with no means of travel. The two started off on the cold, with Deuce repeatedly rejecting Ace's advances to befriend him. This only worsened when he learned that Ace was the son of the late "Pirate King." However, he later came to accept Ace and helped found the Spade Pirates alongside him, remarking that he, like the other crew members, saw Ace as the "Sun."

Ace was also prone to anger and violence towards anyone who insulted or harmed those close to him. In one of Garp's conversations with Dadan, he revealed this to be a trait inherited from his father, Gold D. Roger. During his childhood, Ace had a tendency to severely harm anyone who insulted Roger, even though he disliked his biological father. After hearing about Sabo's presumed death at the hands of a World Noble, Ace quickly became obsessed with killing nobles, and Dadan had to restrain him by tying him to a tree. Ace's temper often got the better of him (especially when Whitebeard, whom Ace considered his only father, was insulted). Believing this to be the case when Blackbeard broke the Whitebeard Pirates' iron rule and deserted after killing a crewmate, Ace went after the traitor, despite his crewmates and even Whitebeard's efforts to stop him. Ace came to realize that his stubbornness had landed him in the predicament of being scheduled for execution. Although he managed to escape death on the gallows, thanks to the efforts of the pirates and Luffy at Marineford, and was well on his way to freedom, Admiral Akainu provoked him by insulting Whitebeard. Ace quickly turned on him, ignoring his crewmates' warnings, so as not to be enraged by Akainu's provocations. Unwilling to let him get away with speaking ill of Whitebeard, Ace attacked him, but his arm was burned by Akainu's Devil Fruit powers. Akainu seized the opportunity to attack Luffy on the bench, prompting Ace to leap in front of him, sacrificing his life to protect Luffy from the attack. With his last words, Ace sadly admitted to Luffy that he had used all his energy to rescue him.

Ace had a tendency to never back down from a fight, stating that he would never retreat in front of an enemy. Some believed Ace had wished for his death, but the truth was he wanted to prevent those he cared about from getting hurt. Dadan stated that he had inherited this tendency from his father, Gol D. Roger, despite his hatred for him. While Ace emerged victorious over his enemies, he refused to flee, for example, from Porchemy and Bluejam. His stubbornness caused him pain on several occasions (most notably when he refused to back down against Marshall D. Teach and/or Akainu).

As Roger's son, he lived in his shadow and is, to this day, the first 'D.' to truly embody the question of his own right to exist. While exhibiting the fewest traits commonly seen in those associated with the 'D.' family, Ace struggled with his identity, even after relinquishing the notion of Gol D. Roger as his father and accepting Whitebeard as his father alone. This contrasted sharply with Luffy, who readily accepted his father's identity upon learning of it and remained unconcerned when told how dangerous it was. However, Luffy did not grow up knowing his father's identity (or even existence). Ace considered it natural that if he were truly going to die, no one in the world wanted the son of the "devil" (Roger) to live. Ace commented on his own death, saying he had never sought fame or fortune—all he wanted was the answer to his question of whether or not he should have been born. This was the only thing that prevented him from dying without regrets, as he and Luffy had promised to do so, and the fact that he had a younger brother to consider. Ace only regretted not living to see Luffy achieve his dream, which he believed Luffy would accomplish, since he was his little brother.

Ace was far more intelligent, courteous, and generally more tolerable than Luffy, leading the Straw Hats to wonder if he was truly related to their captain. While several people who knew Gol D. Roger noted Luffy's resemblance to him, Whitebeard stated that Ace's personality was nothing like his father's. It seems that among the few things the brothers shared was their recklessness as pirates (and their seemingly bottomless stomachs). Furthermore, Ace enjoyed parties just as much as his brother. When he boarded Buggy's ship, he was drawn in by the smell of food and decided to have some fun while he was there.

There were two recurring gags about Ace: his extreme narcolepsy. He would often fall asleep while eating and conversing, causing strangers to gather around him and wonder if he had died. This was first seen in Alabasta, when he was thought to have died in the middle of his meal. The second was the establishment of a dinner routine wherever he went. This harked back to his youth with Sabo and Luffy, when they often dined together in Goa City.

His "politeness" stemmed from Makino's teachings, beginning when Ace asked her how to introduce himself to Shanks (his brother's savior). Before that, Ace was rather cold and rude to anyone he didn't know.

Ace wore an open shirt until he received the Whitebeard tattoo. After that, he stopped wearing anything else on his upper body, except when on the Winter Isles. He wore black boots, black knee-length trousers with an orange studded eyelet belt, and a blue belted pouch around his left leg. He also wore a short belt with a large "A" on the silver buckle above his right hip, but he left it frayed and the free end threaded along the back of his shorts. A dagger, in a green area, hung from his left hip. On Ace's left arm, he wore a log pose and a red and white striped armband around his wrist, an orange elbow guard, and his "ASCE" tattoo. He wore a red beaded necklace and an orange hat with two blue emoticons, one frowning and the other smiling, and a red beaded necklace sitting on the brim. Two secondary straps hung on either side of his hat and featured a large medallion of a bull's skull with orange tassels.

Despite not being blood relatives, Ace resembled his adoptive brother, Luffy. However, Ace was much more serious than Luffy, and he was also taller and more muscular. He also sported freckles that gave him a rather youthful appearance and tended to wear a disbelieving expression, raising his left eyebrow. Interestingly, his facial features were almost identical to those of his biological father, Gol D. Roger, in his youth and without his mustache. Ace's tattoos are among his most notable characteristics: He had a tattoo on his back of Whitebeard's symbol (purple bones forming a cross behind a purple skull with a white mustache), which he described as his pride and joy. Ace had another tattoo on his upper left bicep that read "ASCE" vertically, with the "S" crossed out. The 'S' is very similar to the one Sabo wrote in the letter to Ace and Luffy, and it bears a striking resemblance to the 'S' on the Jolly Roger. The fact that the 'S' does not appear on the cover in chapter 596, when Sabo, Ace, and Luffy are seen together as adults, supports the theory that it is a tribute to his deceased brother.

Devil Fruit

Fruit Name:
Mera Mera Fruit

Japanese Name:
Mera Mera no Mi

Romanized Name:
Mera Mera no Mi

Meaning:
Sound of Fire

Fruit Type:
Logia

Affiliations:
Spade Pirates; Dadan Family (formerly); Whitebeard Pirates

Occupation:
Commander of the 2nd Division of the Whitebeard Pirates; Captain (formerly); Bandit (formerly)

Origin:
South Blue (Baterilla)

Age:
20 years old

Date of Birth:
January 1st

Height:
185 cm

Blood Type:
S

Bounty:
550,000,000

Portgas D. Rouge (Mother)
Gol D. Roger (Father)
Monkey D. Garp (Adoptive Grandfather)
Monkey D. Luffy (Adoptive Brother)
Sabo (Adoptive Brother)
Edward Newgate (Adoptive Father)
Curly Dadan (Adoptive Mother)