TV-Series
Description
Portgas D. Trace is a name used for the One Piece character generally known as Portgas D. Ace, also called Fire Fist Ace. This is the character referred to when the name Trace appears in certain English localizations of the series. He is the biological son of the Pirate King Gol D. Roger and Portgas D. Rouge, and the sworn older brother of Monkey D. Luffy and Sabo.
Ace was born after his father's execution, because his mother kept him in her womb for an unusually long pregnancy of about twenty months, an effort that cost her life immediately after his birth. At Roger's request, Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp arranged for Ace to be raised by the mountain bandit Curly Dadan in the Goa Kingdom, where he grew up alongside Luffy and Sabo. As a child, Ace faced hatred and suspicion from people who despised the memory of his father, and he struggled with deep doubts about whether he had a right to exist. He chose to carry his mother's surname rather than his father's, and he made an effort to learn polite manners so that he could properly thank those who had helped his brother.
In personality, Ace was confident, warm, and fiercely loyal, with a natural charm that drew others to him. He was also impulsive, hot-tempered, and stubborn, possessing a personal rule to never run from a fight, even when the odds were against him. A recurring trait was his tendency to fall asleep without warning in the middle of conversations or meals. Despite his easygoing and sometimes reckless exterior, he carried a heavy emotional burden related to his father's legacy and his own sense of self-worth. His deepest motivation was to be recognized as his own person and to protect the people he considered family. After forming an unbreakable bond with Luffy and Sabo, the three boys exchanged cups of sake and became sworn brothers, vowing to live freely. When the trio was separated, Ace set sail at age seventeen as captain of the Spade Pirates, quickly gaining fame as a powerful rookie.
During his early journey, Ace ate the Mera Mera no Mi, a Logia-type Devil Fruit that allowed him to create, control, and transform his body into fire. His abilities earned him the epithet Fire Fist, and his combat strength rose to a level recognized even by the Emperors of the sea. He declined an offer to become one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. Ace's path led him to challenge Whitebeard, the strongest man in the world, in order to prove his own strength and surpass his father's legacy. After many failed attempts to defeat Whitebeard, Ace was moved by the genuine bonds among the Whitebeard Pirates and came to see Whitebeard as a true father. He joined the crew and eventually became commander of its Second Division.
Ace enters the main story during the Alabasta storyline, where he reunites briefly with Luffy while pursuing a former crewmate, Marshall D. Teach, later known as Blackbeard. Teach had murdered a Whitebeard crewmate to steal the Yami Yami no Mi, and Ace felt obligated to hunt him down. His pursuit ended in defeat, and Ace was captured and handed over to the Marines, who sentenced him to public execution. His imprisonment triggered the Paramount War at Marineford, a massive battle in which Whitebeard and his allied forces, along with Luffy, fought to rescue him. Ace was freed during the battle, but he chose to shield Luffy from an attack by Admiral Akainu and was fatally wounded while protecting his brother. In his final moments, he thanked Luffy and affirmed that his life had been worth living.
Ace's most important relationships were with Luffy and Sabo, his sworn brothers, whom he loved deeply despite having no blood connection; with Whitebeard, who gave him a sense of belonging and purpose; and with Garp and Dadan, who raised him. His complicated feelings about his biological parents also shaped his identity, as he never knew his father and lost his mother at birth. His conflict with Blackbeard directly led to his capture and death. His death is a defining moment in the story, motivating Luffy to grow much stronger and later leading Sabo to eat the Mera Mera no Mi and carry on Ace's power and will.
In combat, Ace's control over fire made him exceptionally dangerous. He could turn his body into flames, making ordinary physical attacks pass through him, and he could propel himself through the air. His signature technique was Hiken, a massive flame fist capable of destroying multiple ships, and he also used attacks such as Higan, which fired compressed flames from his fingers; Jujika, a cross-shaped beam of fire; and his most powerful move, Dai Enkai Entei, a colossal fireball. He possessed mastery of Haki, including Conqueror's Haki, and had the physical strength to fight on equal terms with powerful figures such as the Warlord Jinbe for five days. Like all Devil Fruit users, he could not swim and was vulnerable to seawater and seastone.
Ace was born after his father's execution, because his mother kept him in her womb for an unusually long pregnancy of about twenty months, an effort that cost her life immediately after his birth. At Roger's request, Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp arranged for Ace to be raised by the mountain bandit Curly Dadan in the Goa Kingdom, where he grew up alongside Luffy and Sabo. As a child, Ace faced hatred and suspicion from people who despised the memory of his father, and he struggled with deep doubts about whether he had a right to exist. He chose to carry his mother's surname rather than his father's, and he made an effort to learn polite manners so that he could properly thank those who had helped his brother.
In personality, Ace was confident, warm, and fiercely loyal, with a natural charm that drew others to him. He was also impulsive, hot-tempered, and stubborn, possessing a personal rule to never run from a fight, even when the odds were against him. A recurring trait was his tendency to fall asleep without warning in the middle of conversations or meals. Despite his easygoing and sometimes reckless exterior, he carried a heavy emotional burden related to his father's legacy and his own sense of self-worth. His deepest motivation was to be recognized as his own person and to protect the people he considered family. After forming an unbreakable bond with Luffy and Sabo, the three boys exchanged cups of sake and became sworn brothers, vowing to live freely. When the trio was separated, Ace set sail at age seventeen as captain of the Spade Pirates, quickly gaining fame as a powerful rookie.
During his early journey, Ace ate the Mera Mera no Mi, a Logia-type Devil Fruit that allowed him to create, control, and transform his body into fire. His abilities earned him the epithet Fire Fist, and his combat strength rose to a level recognized even by the Emperors of the sea. He declined an offer to become one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. Ace's path led him to challenge Whitebeard, the strongest man in the world, in order to prove his own strength and surpass his father's legacy. After many failed attempts to defeat Whitebeard, Ace was moved by the genuine bonds among the Whitebeard Pirates and came to see Whitebeard as a true father. He joined the crew and eventually became commander of its Second Division.
Ace enters the main story during the Alabasta storyline, where he reunites briefly with Luffy while pursuing a former crewmate, Marshall D. Teach, later known as Blackbeard. Teach had murdered a Whitebeard crewmate to steal the Yami Yami no Mi, and Ace felt obligated to hunt him down. His pursuit ended in defeat, and Ace was captured and handed over to the Marines, who sentenced him to public execution. His imprisonment triggered the Paramount War at Marineford, a massive battle in which Whitebeard and his allied forces, along with Luffy, fought to rescue him. Ace was freed during the battle, but he chose to shield Luffy from an attack by Admiral Akainu and was fatally wounded while protecting his brother. In his final moments, he thanked Luffy and affirmed that his life had been worth living.
Ace's most important relationships were with Luffy and Sabo, his sworn brothers, whom he loved deeply despite having no blood connection; with Whitebeard, who gave him a sense of belonging and purpose; and with Garp and Dadan, who raised him. His complicated feelings about his biological parents also shaped his identity, as he never knew his father and lost his mother at birth. His conflict with Blackbeard directly led to his capture and death. His death is a defining moment in the story, motivating Luffy to grow much stronger and later leading Sabo to eat the Mera Mera no Mi and carry on Ace's power and will.
In combat, Ace's control over fire made him exceptionally dangerous. He could turn his body into flames, making ordinary physical attacks pass through him, and he could propel himself through the air. His signature technique was Hiken, a massive flame fist capable of destroying multiple ships, and he also used attacks such as Higan, which fired compressed flames from his fingers; Jujika, a cross-shaped beam of fire; and his most powerful move, Dai Enkai Entei, a colossal fireball. He possessed mastery of Haki, including Conqueror's Haki, and had the physical strength to fight on equal terms with powerful figures such as the Warlord Jinbe for five days. Like all Devil Fruit users, he could not swim and was vulnerable to seawater and seastone.