One Piece’s Elbaph Arc Reveals Ace’s Heartbreaking Connection With Shanks

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Please be aware that this article reveals key events from the One Piece manga. Even years after his death, Ace remains a hugely popular character in One Piece. His passing is one of the series’ most heartbreaking moments, pushing Luffy to grow stronger and protect his remaining friends. Though Ace can’t return, his spirit lives on through those he cared about – not just his brothers, but also characters like Yamato and Tama, and his former crewmates. Many fought against the World Government trying to save him, but ultimately, he couldn’t avoid his fate.

As a huge One Piece fan, I always believed Ace had a chance to make it through the war, but what really struck me was how instantly he chose to sacrifice himself for Luffy. Seeing Shanks, one of the strongest pirates around, rush to try and save him was intense, but even he couldn’t get there in time – he arrived at Marineford only after Ace and Whitebeard were already gone. And honestly, the latest chapter, 1169, with the Elbaph arc unfolding, just dropped another emotional bomb, revealing a connection between them that’s completely heartbreaking!

One Piece’s Elbaph Arc Reveals That Shanks Thought of Ace As His Brother

The latest story arc keeps flashing back to a conversation between Gaban and Shanks from 14 years ago, when they were in Elbaph. After finding out Roger had a son, Shanks explains that Ace feels like a brother to him. Shanks was adopted by Roger as a baby and grew up traveling the seas with the Roger Pirates. Both Shanks and Buggy were practically raised by the crew, which created a very strong connection between them. Shanks was truly pleased to hear about Ace and wished he would follow in his father’s adventurous path.

Although they weren’t close friends, Shanks and Ace once had a long conversation about Luffy. When Shanks learned Ace was chasing Blackbeard, he did everything he could to prevent it, even asking Whitebeard for help. Shanks traveled to Marineford, but the situation there was far worse than he’d imagined. He and Whitebeard jointly carried out the burial of Roger’s son. Because of Shanks’ standing, Ace and Whitebeard were able to have a respectful send-off – something the Marines wouldn’t normally allow for such notorious pirates. Knowing how much Shanks tried to save Ace makes his death even more heartbreaking.

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2025-12-27 01:11