Summary
Portgas D. Ace is undoubtedly one of the most infamous pirates in the world ofOne Piece. He was the son of the King of the Pirates, Gol D. Roger, the 2nd Division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, and the sworn older brother of Straw Hat Luffy. Ace did make a name for himself in this dangerous world.
But despite how tough he was,at the moment of his untimely death, Portgas D. Ace’s final words were “Thank you for loving me.” He was lucky enough to experience love, camaraderie, and friendship during his twenty years of life. But who were these people who were so close to Ace that made him feel such devotion?
6Tama
His Adoptive Little Sister
The moment Ace arrived in the Land of Wano, he befriended a small girl calledTama. They quickly became close friends, inspiring her to become a kunoichi and promising her that he was going to return to improve the living conditions of Wano, whose inhabitants were starvingat the hands of Kaido.
Tama was pretty much Ace’s little sister and was motivated by his kind words. So it is no wonder that she was sad when Luffy told her that Ace passed away during the War of Marineford. But Tama kept on because she cared for Ace, and still inspired her and many others, even after death.
5Sabo
His First Friend
When Luffy met Portgas D. Ace, he was already friends withSabofor a long time. They both had plans to save enough money to buy a pirate ship and eventually set sail to the open sea together. Ace and Sabo were sworn brothers and the main reason they both wanted to become pirates. So it’s quite tragic that they could never achieve their dream together.
Even though both grew up to be powerful warriors, they never met each other again, as Ace thought Sabo was dead for years and Sabo just recovered his memories of Ace when it was too late. While it’s a shame that they didn’t join forces again, at leastSabo now carries on Ace’s willand takes care of their little brother, Luffy.
4Masked Deuce
His First Crewmate
Audiences don’t know much about Ace’s time as Captain of the Spade Pirates before they join Whitebeard’s crew. But among that initial roster, there was nobody closer to their captain thanMasked Deuce. InOne Piece Episode A, fans get to know their story, in which they both became stranded on the island of Sixis.
Although Deuce didn’t like Ace’s cheerful personality, they eventually befriended each other to work together to get off the island and eventually form the Spade Pirates. He seemed to be to Ace what Zoro is to Luffy. An interesting fact about Masked Deuce is that he shared theMera Mera no Miwith Ace, but he didn’t get any powers.
3Yamato
Drinking Buddies
During his stay in Wano, Ace also befriendedYamato, the son of Kaido. Even thoughthey met while fighting, they quickly became friends over a few drinks when they realized how similar they truly were. In the span of one night, Ace and Yamato completely changed each other’s lives.
Portgas D. Ace told Yamato what Luffy’s true dream was, showing how much he trusted them. And just like Tama, Ace wanted to sail away with Yamato but couldn’t, because they were imprisoned by Kaido. Even though Ace could never come back to Wano and fulfill his promise, this brief but close friendship led to Yamato seeking the help of Monkey D. Luffy years later.
2Marco
Brothers In Arms
Even though Ace was very close to the entire crew of theWhitebeard Pirates, there’s no question thatMarco, commander of the 1st division, was his closest friend. Ace was hesitant to join the crew at first, and it was Marco himself who ended up convincing him when he explained to him the fatherly bond they had with their captain.
Because they sharedsimilar powersand personalities, Ace and Marco had a close friendship, which motivated the Phoenix to join Whitebeard in the War of Marineford to rescue his good friend. Just like Yamato and Sabo, Marco eventually carried Ace’s will and helped out Luffy in his adventure.
1Monkey D. Luffy
His Sworn Little Brother
Monkey D. Luffyhas been mentioned several times already. Ace, Sabo, and Luffy were the closest of friends when they were kids, to the point that they promised each other that they were going to become pirates together. Ace was always extremely proud of Luffy and seemed like it was the only thing he could talk about whenever he befriended somebody else.
After Sabo’s apparent passing, Portgas D. Ace always swore to protect their little brother and even asked the Straw Hat Pirates themselves to do the same. That’s exactly why, possibly in the biggest demonstration of love ever, Ace sacrificed himself for Luffy. Because he knew that he was the head of a new generation and that he needed to fulfill his dream.
Portgas D. Ace’s death greatly affectedMonkey D. Luffy because of the close bond they shared. Luckily, after some time, the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates learned how to use Ace’s Will to motivate himself and his crew, so they could face new obstacles, and eventually, find the One Piece together.
