Could One Piece Have Saved Ace? A Viral Theory Says Yes, But It Would've Come at a Cost
There are many pivotal moments in One Piece given the length of the series, but there is none more significant than the death of Portgas D. Ace. As Luffy’s brother, an important figure in Whitebeard’s crew, and the son of the late Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, Ace’s contributions to the narrative all but cemented him to be a recurring character, serving as both mentor to the Straw Hats and a formidable asset to future battles. That inevitably turned out to not be the case.
One Piece’s author, Eiichiro Oda, hasn’t been afraid of killing off characters in the past, but this would mark the first and major one that would affect Luffy the most. In fact, Oda waited a full decade before committing to Ace’s death because of how much fans already found him to be a beloved figure. This final decision did not come easy, and many can’t help but wonder what it would have been like if the siege on Marineford succeeded.
Would Gear 5 Be Enough To Save Ace From The World Government?
Fans All Prayed For A Miracle From Luffy
One Reddit user was inspired to turn the tides of this heart-wrenching moment into a positive one by begging the question, “What if Luffy had discovered Gear 5 earlier?” By using poseable figures, Ilovexmen1992 recreates the Marineford confrontation by having Luffy unlock Gear 5 instead of Conquerer’s Haki, beating Admiral Akainu, and saving Ace. Upon initial glance, using the unlocked Human-Human Fruit, Model: Nika to reshape reality is a possible MacGuffin to change this story beat and create an entertaining theory to explore.
Gear 5 is by far Luffy’s grandest transformation and the strongest, which makes the requirements to build up to it already a hard pill to swallow when he and One Piece fans had only begun to learn about Haki. Not only does the Human-Human Fruit, Model: Nika require a mastery of Haki, but it also needs the maximum output Luffy can generate. While his Conquerer’s display managed to take down lower-level soldiers, Akainu and Junbei were still able to withstand it, placing the Straw Hat captain’s current power slightly below theirs.
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Sadly, there are too many requirements for Luffy to unlock in order to even consider Gear 5 as a possibility to save Ace. Luffy wasn’t at the peak of his physical prowess to properly temper the needed types of Haki, let alone be in the right emotional state. Grief overwhelmed him into a state of shock, rendering him vulnerable to the present company of the World Government’s Admirals.
Luffy And The Whitebeard Pirates Were At A Severe Disadvantage
No Amount Of Backup Could Save Them
There was some heavy manpower at the Marineford and fans got to see a plethora of new abilities be introduced in these fight scenes. Marco’s phoenix transformation, Whitebeard’s earth-shattering Quake-Quake Fruit, and a Kraken breaking into the base are only the beginning as it’s revealed that the World Government likewise spared no expense when it came to prepping for Ace’s execution. Admirals, Vice Admirals, and the Seven Warlords were all prepped in advance for the arrival of Whitebeard and his crew.
Ace’s execution was crucial to serve as a message to the next generation of pirates that fighting back against the Marines and Seven Warlords would not be tolerated.
Even if Luffy were able to save Ace during that moment, they’d need time to recover, time that Akainu and the other threats would not have spared. They were quickly surrounded on all sides and Junbei barely managed to save Luffy from the Admirals, only able to aid in the Straw Hat Captain’s escape thanks to the Heart Pirates.
The World Government intended to seal its authority to the ever-changing world in One Piece since control was gradually slipping from its grasp. Ace’s execution was crucial to serve as a message to the next generation of pirates that fighting back against the Marines and Seven Warlords would not be tolerated.
Saving Ace Would Weaken Luffy’s Character Development Following His Death
A Brutal But Needed Awakening
The most important sequence following the crippling defeat of Marineford was Luffy’s own recognition that he wasn’t strong enough and the secrets behind those who hold dominion in the Grand Line. While his journey up to this point has not been a cakewalk and there is no shortage of lessons the Straw Hat Captain takes to heart, many of his motivations were – till this point – juvenile in comparison to the world his brother was living in. Luffy discovers a new reason for wanting to become King of the Pirates, and that’s for the liberation of people with the same ideologies.
Portgus D. Ace’s death was the proverbial shot heard around the world, kickstarting the new age of pirates to reconsider their current plans while the World Government reestablished order over the turbulent growth of ever-evolving new blood. It also aided in Luffy’s growth into an adult with a reformed philosophy based on the same principles he’s always had, but now with a stronger conviction. The Straw Hat Pirate may not have been able to save his brother with his Devil Fruit powers, but doing so would have come at a great cost to his overall development.
Source: Reddit User Ilovexmen1992
- Created by
- Eiichiro Oda
- First Film
- One Piece: The Movie
- First TV Show
- One Piece
- Cast
- Kazuya Nakai, Akemi Okamura, Kappei Yamaguchi, Hiroaki Hirata, Ikue Ôtani, Yuriko Yamaguchi
- Video Game(s)
- One Piece: Unlimited World Red, One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3, One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4, One Piece: World Seeker, One Piece Odyssey
- Character(s)
- Monkey D. Luffy, Roronora Zoro, Nami (One Piece), Nico Robin, Usopp (One Piece), Vinsmoke Sanji, Tony Tony Chopper, Franky (One Piece), Jimbei (One Piece)
