One Piece is a hugely popular anime and manga series with a dedicated fanbase. Fans enjoy discussing various aspects of the series, such as ranking powerful Devil Fruits and speculating about different characters.
However, once you delve deeper into the story beyond the initial arcs, it becomes clear that One Piece offers much more than just power levels.
Given its long-running nature, spanning over 23 years and counting, the series has introduced and said goodbye to numerous characters. This has resulted in several emotionally impactful deaths that deeply resonate with the audience.
Among the many heart-wrenching moments in One Piece, there is one character’s death that stands out as particularly heartbreaking.
The Most Heartbreaking Death in One Piece
One Piece is meant to be a fun adventure — because it is a series that targets the shonen demographic, so it doesn’t allow its characters to die. But that doesn’t mean there are zero deaths in the series.
The series does have some of the most tragic scenes even though character deaths are rare in it. Ace’s death was one of the saddest in the series.
Portgas D. Ace, also known as “Fire Fist Ace,” was a major character in One Piece. He was the older brother of Monkey D. Luffy and Sabo and the son of the Pirate King Gol D. Roger and Portgas D. Rouge.
His death shocked the whole One Piece community and it was even more heart-wrenching because Luffy was determined to save him. Ace died while protecting Luffy, shortly after being rescued from execution. His death was literally a turning point for the Straw Hat Pirates.
Ace’s Tragic Death: How It Happened in One Piece?
Ace, a high-ranking commander under one of the four Emperors of the Sea “Whitebeard,” was captured by the Marines for several reasons. He was also the son of Gol D. Roger, the King of the Pirates, which made him a target. The Marines wanted him to become a Warlord, but he refused, becoming a wanted criminal.
Ace was introduced during the “Alabasta” arc when he aimed to capture Blackbeard, who had betrayed the Whitebeard pirates. Ace, as direct commander, felt responsible for Blackbeard’s crimes. He reunited with Luffy and met the Straw Hat Pirates.
However, Blackbeard defeated Ace and turned him over to the Marines to become a Warlord. The Marines used this opportunity to announce Ace’s public execution, sparking a war between pirates and the Marines. Luffy, with the help of allies from Impel Down, tried to save Ace. During the battle, Ace sacrificed himself to save Luffy from Akainu’s attack, dying in his brother’s arms.
Source: CBR
