Cover
Nami meets Luffy in a game of hammer.
Storyline
Grand Line, Marine Ford: All the pirates and the people of Sabaody Archipelago are shocked that Ace has been hit. Immediately, the order goes out that Akainu must be stopped at all costs. Curiel does shoot part of his torso off, but as a Logia user, he doesn’t mind. Then, as the admiral is about to finish off Ace who is kneeling on the ground, Jinbe appears and intercepts the attack to save Ace from death. He doesn’t care about his life anyway. Marco wants to help as soon as possible, but has to unlock his sea stone handcuffs first, helped by Mr. 3, who is extremely pleased at the fact that he’s still alive. Garp wants to kill Akainu, which is why Sengoku has to restrain him. He calls the Vice Admiral a fool.
Akainu tells Jinbe that as a former samurai of the seas, he knows what powers he has and was therefore foolish to stand in his way. He then goes to finish him off as well, but Marco, who has since been freed from his handcuffs, and Vista stop him with Haki. Akainu figures that even Haki users can’t save Ace, since it’s already too late for Fire Fist. Marco and Vista blame themselves greatly over what happened to Ace.
Luffy catches Ace, who apologizes for not letting Luffy save him properly. A member of Whitebeard calls a ship’s doctor, but Ace refuses help, as his organs are burned beyond repair anyway. Luffy incredulously asks if Ace is going to die now, and in desperation reminds him of his promise to never die.
Ace tells Luffy that he was the reason he was alive in the first place. If he hadn’t had a little brother, his life would have been meaningless. He remembers how people in his home village talked about Roger, his father, and that if there was going to be one, his child should be slowly tortured to death. Ace has always been tempted by these remarks to see his life as useless and not worth living. The hurt to his person and the humiliation of his father have always made Ace want to hurt the villagers. In a conversation with Dadan, it becomes clear that Ace would even kill them if he could. The memory of Dadan makes Ace feel sentimental, so he asks Luffy to say hello to Dadan if they ever see each other again, as Ace misses Dadan despite him being such a jerk. Ace regrets dying, as he won’t get to see Luffy realize his dream.
Ace has lived his life without regret and now realizes the real meaning in it. It is not something the search for fame or for a name, but the question of whether it was good that he was born. The answer to that question is yes. Even Whitebeard’s tears are coming now. Firefist’s voice weakens, which is why Luffy is supposed to repeat what he says out loud later. He addresses Whitebeard, everyone else, and especially his brother Luffy. Despite being good for nothing and carrying the blood of a demon, he was loved by everyone. For this, he thanks them with tears in his eyes. Then he struggles to smile for the last time in what was only his short life, and collapses in his little brother’s arms. He is dead, his Vivre Card burned completely and irrevocably.
Flashback: Ace punches Luffy for thinking Ace was dead. Ace promises Luffy never to die.
Luffy holds his dead brother in his arms. Full of despair and unable to move, he cries silently to the sky. Garp also weeps for his foster grandson.
| Manga volumes | Marineford Arc (Manga) |
