One Piece Diaries #64: Marineford #3

One Piece is one of the most beloved anime in history, but at over 1,000 episodes, it’s tough for those who haven’t been watching from the start to jump on board. One Piece Diaries tracks one writer’s experience with this daunting rite of passage. With hype for the highs and critique for the lows, this column will help you decide whether to take your own One Piece journey – or let you relive the one you’re already on. It will be updated biweekly every other Thursday.

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Episodes Watched: 476 – 483

Thanks a lot, One Piece, you ripped out my heart and stomped all over it.

I knew this was coming. Even if I hadn’t written about Ace’s death 5000 times for Ranker, I’d still know because one of the episode titles contains the phrase “Ace Dies.” But knowing what was coming didn’t make it any less painful.

Luffy has failed before, but this is the worst failure he’s ever experienced in his life. It’s worse than when his crew was scattered by Kuma. Worse than when he got his butt handed to him by Lucci the first time they fought. Worse than when Camie was kidnapped while he was supposed to be protecting her. This is one of the people he loves more than anything in the world–his older brother. He was willing to risk everything to save him, and he was so, so close, but ultimately, he couldn’t protect him from the wrath of the Marines–or from himself.

That’s one part of this that really stood out to me. Ace could have potentially gotten away if he hadn’t responded to Akainu slandering Whitebeard. But instead, right in front of hundreds of people who put their lives on the line to save him, he stops to tell Akainu he’s wrong. This is a trap, and everyone, including Ace, knows it.

It makes sense that he reacted like this. Whitebeard is the one person who made him feel truly loved and accepted for exactly who he was. Of course, he felt the need to defend him. Of course, he didn’t have the wherewithal to respond rationally after spending months in prison and nearly being executed. He only just decided that he wanted to live after fully accepting his demise. He was in excruciating mental and most likely physical pain.

In some ways, responding to Akainu is like taking everyone else’s efforts and metaphorically stomping on them. It hurt to watch him essentially throw his own life away like that. But he couldn’t have done anything else at that moment. Besides, he might have gotten caught anyway. And then he’d have died without defending Whitebeard. I can’t blame him, and I doubt any of the friends and comrades he left behind can either.

Luffy’s reaction was excruciating. Watching him desperately grasping for any way he could save him even though he’d had a giant hole blasted through his torso. Even when Ace was saying his last words, Luffy couldn’t respond properly because he was still clinging to whatever small shreds of hope he could summon. It was so hard to watch.

Ace’s last words–“thank you for loving me”–were deeply moving. He felt so unloved and unwanted as a child that he didn’t even believe he deserved to be born, but as his life was ending, he finally understood that he was loved.

I’ll close this out by sharing a song that I listened to pretty much non-stop since I started watching Impel Down. It reminds me of Luffy’s relentless quest to rescue his brother at all costs.

Walk Through Hell – Say Anything

I’d walk through hell for you, let it burn right through my shoes
These soles are useless without you
Through hell for you, let the torturing ensue
My soul is useless without you.

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