TV Special
Description
Portgas D. Ace, whose birth name was Gol D. Ace, is a central figure in the anime special One Piece Episode of Sabo, which revisits his bond with his sworn brothers Monkey D. Luffy and Sabo. Ace is the biological son of the Pirate King Gol D. Roger and Portgas D. Rouge. His mother carried him for an unusually long time before dying shortly after his birth, and he was taken in by Monkey D. Garp, who placed him in the care of the mountain bandit Curly Dadan on Dawn Island. There he grew up alongside Luffy and later met Sabo, a noble-born boy living in the Gray Terminal garbage dump. The three boys dreamed of becoming pirates and eventually exchanged cups of sake, becoming sworn brothers.
Ace's childhood was marked by the weight of his lineage. Because he was the son of the executed Pirate King, he was despised by many as a child of a devil and struggled with self-hatred, at times questioning whether he should have been born at all. Despite this, he developed a warm, protective, and deeply loyal nature, especially toward Luffy and Sabo. He was also impulsive, easily provoked, and fiercely independent, preferring to rely on his own judgment and strength. His personality balanced a strong sense of pride with genuine affection for those he considered family, and he placed the bonds he chose above the bloodline he inherited.
He left Dawn Island before his brothers, becoming captain of his own crew, the Spade Pirates. After eating the Mera Mera no Mi, a Logia-type Devil Fruit that allowed him to create, control, and transform into fire, he gained the nickname Fire Fist Ace. He later joined the Whitebeard Pirates and rose to the position of second division commander. Under the influence of Edward Newgate, known as Whitebeard, Ace found a place where he belonged and came to regard Whitebeard as his true father, an acceptance that helped him overcome much of the shame tied to his birth.
Ace's primary motivation throughout his life was the search for a reason to exist and for people to protect. His loyalty to Whitebeard and his crew became the center of his identity, and he was willing to put everything on the line for them. This commitment led him to pursue Marshall D. Teach, known as Blackbeard, after Teach killed a crewmate and abandoned the Whitebeard Pirates. Ace lost the confrontation to Blackbeard and was handed over to the World Government, which sentenced him to public execution at Marineford as a way to bait the Whitebeard Pirates into war.
In One Piece Episode of Sabo, Ace's story is shown largely through his relationship with Sabo, whose memories of Ace are restored after Ace's death. The special depicts the brothers' shared childhood, their parting after Sabo was presumed killed, and Ace's own capture and execution. Ace's role in the special is foundational rather than ongoing: his life, his love for his brothers, and his death shape the emotional journey of the story. After Ace dies at Marineford while shielding Luffy from Admiral Akainu, his final words express gratitude that he was loved and accepted. His death becomes a defining loss for both Luffy and Sabo, and it is deeply tied to the special's theme of inherited will and remembrance.
Notable relationships include his bonds with Luffy, whom he protected as an older brother; Sabo, whose loss and recovery of memory are central to the special; Whitebeard, whom he honored as a father figure; and Blackbeard, whose betrayal set Ace's tragic fate in motion. Ace also carried the D. in his name, a trait shared with his father, his sworn brothers, and other major figures, and he possessed considerable combat ability beyond his Devil Fruit powers, including proficiency in Haki. His bounty was 550,000,000 berries. His legacy continued after his death, particularly when Sabo later ate the Mera Mera no Mi, inheriting Ace's flame powers and continuing to fight in his memory. Over the course of his appearance in the story, Ace develops from an angry and isolated young man who resented his own existence into a devoted protector who found a family and finally stopped questioning whether he deserved to be loved.
Ace's childhood was marked by the weight of his lineage. Because he was the son of the executed Pirate King, he was despised by many as a child of a devil and struggled with self-hatred, at times questioning whether he should have been born at all. Despite this, he developed a warm, protective, and deeply loyal nature, especially toward Luffy and Sabo. He was also impulsive, easily provoked, and fiercely independent, preferring to rely on his own judgment and strength. His personality balanced a strong sense of pride with genuine affection for those he considered family, and he placed the bonds he chose above the bloodline he inherited.
He left Dawn Island before his brothers, becoming captain of his own crew, the Spade Pirates. After eating the Mera Mera no Mi, a Logia-type Devil Fruit that allowed him to create, control, and transform into fire, he gained the nickname Fire Fist Ace. He later joined the Whitebeard Pirates and rose to the position of second division commander. Under the influence of Edward Newgate, known as Whitebeard, Ace found a place where he belonged and came to regard Whitebeard as his true father, an acceptance that helped him overcome much of the shame tied to his birth.
Ace's primary motivation throughout his life was the search for a reason to exist and for people to protect. His loyalty to Whitebeard and his crew became the center of his identity, and he was willing to put everything on the line for them. This commitment led him to pursue Marshall D. Teach, known as Blackbeard, after Teach killed a crewmate and abandoned the Whitebeard Pirates. Ace lost the confrontation to Blackbeard and was handed over to the World Government, which sentenced him to public execution at Marineford as a way to bait the Whitebeard Pirates into war.
In One Piece Episode of Sabo, Ace's story is shown largely through his relationship with Sabo, whose memories of Ace are restored after Ace's death. The special depicts the brothers' shared childhood, their parting after Sabo was presumed killed, and Ace's own capture and execution. Ace's role in the special is foundational rather than ongoing: his life, his love for his brothers, and his death shape the emotional journey of the story. After Ace dies at Marineford while shielding Luffy from Admiral Akainu, his final words express gratitude that he was loved and accepted. His death becomes a defining loss for both Luffy and Sabo, and it is deeply tied to the special's theme of inherited will and remembrance.
Notable relationships include his bonds with Luffy, whom he protected as an older brother; Sabo, whose loss and recovery of memory are central to the special; Whitebeard, whom he honored as a father figure; and Blackbeard, whose betrayal set Ace's tragic fate in motion. Ace also carried the D. in his name, a trait shared with his father, his sworn brothers, and other major figures, and he possessed considerable combat ability beyond his Devil Fruit powers, including proficiency in Haki. His bounty was 550,000,000 berries. His legacy continued after his death, particularly when Sabo later ate the Mera Mera no Mi, inheriting Ace's flame powers and continuing to fight in his memory. Over the course of his appearance in the story, Ace develops from an angry and isolated young man who resented his own existence into a devoted protector who found a family and finally stopped questioning whether he deserved to be loved.