The connection between Sabo, Postgas D. Ace, and Monkey D. Luffy is necessary for the protagonist of One Piece, Monkey D. Luffy. For Luffy, his brother is an admiration. He tries to be like his brother while remaining dedicated to his own goals. After the death of Ace, Luffy tried to honor Ace by preserving his memory by incorporating Ace’s techniques in his battles and also continuing or bringing an end to the things he started with him.
Although Ace is no longer alive, Luffy still looks up to his elder brother but not all of his traits and personality are important for the future king of pirates-Luffy because when Luffy looks up to Ace’s life, there are some mistakes in his acts, among which some of those also contributed to his death. Even though he’s no longer in the world, he is still an important part of One Piece’s storyline.
In the latest releases of One Piece, Luffy has been shown trying to act Ace but also learning how to be his own person.
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However, it is still confusing if following Ace’s path is always right for him. Ace sailed as a pirate for 3 years leaving a huge influence on the world through his actions before his death. Although, he’s mostly recognized as Gol D. Roger’s son most of his actions have a long-lasting impact. For instance, sneaked in and out of Wano defeating a warlord as well before his death.
His journey is like a smaller version of Luffy’s journey with his many achievements being similar to what Luffy’s been accomplishing lately. One Piece often shows characters, getting guidelines from previous pirates like Luffy’s following Gol D. Roger, Shanks, and Joy Boy. Ace and Luffy’s similarities make their parallel journeys feel natural.
One Piece Luffy’s Admiration
When Luffy had his first encounter with Ace, he was in a very unfavorable condition because at that time, red-haired Shanks had left, and Luffy had to leave his home and live with bandits despite hating bandits. Ace was a bright spot for Luffy, offering him a chance to make a friend close to his age. Luffy’s already existing sadness and loneliness caused him to cling to Ace even more.
Luffy’s intention was not to make Ace like him but to become like Ace himself. Once Ace’s desire to kill Luffy ended, he, along with Sabo taught Luffy how to enjoy and live in the forest. Following Ace’s death, Luffy’s bond with Sabo strengthened. And now, Luffy tries to be like Ace, because, to him, it seems like a way to keep Ace’s memory alive.
Replicating Ace’s Attacks
Luffy chose Ace’s actions as a guideline and incorporated his fighting style into his fighting tactics. He mimics Ace’s fire fist attack through his Gum Gum Red Hawk or Gum Gum Fire Fist Pistol Red Hawk depending upon the translation.
The move is a flaming punch, with Luffy’s fist engulfed in a fiery aura, similar to the flames that Ace used with his Devil Fruit powers. This shows how Luffy has inherited not only Ace’s fighting spirit but also the influence of the Fire Fruit. This is his way to use his Devil Fruit powers to replicate Ace’s attacks.
Anime confirmed this replication of the attack by showing an image of Ace when Luffy used this attack. This attack not only strengthens Luffy’s abilities but also serves as a constant reminder of Ace’s legacy. This attack carries Ace’s reminder that even if anyone is watching Luffy use this attack, Ace will come to their for sure. It’s a clear way for Luffy to honor his brother, while also evoking memories of Ace for anyone watching the fight.
Sabo’s Role
Luffy’s bond with Sabo is also a way of keeping Ace’s memory alive. All three of these, Sabo, Ace and Luffy had an unbreakable friendship which transcended bloodlines, making their camaraderie, an emotional plot of One Piece’s storyline. After Ace’s death, Sabo tried to carry Ace’s legacy ahead keeping his memory alive. He adopted the Flame-Flame Devil Fruit and also incorporated many of Ace’s fighting techniques in his Fighting style.
Because of Ace’s influence, Sabo was determined to become the best revolutionary he can be while his actions reflected the love, loyalty and devotion he has for his dead brother. Luffy and Sabo shared mourning and dedication to Ace’s memory.
Intolerance Against Disrespect of Others
In the recent chapter of One Piece “Loki of the Realm of the Dead”, Loki insulted Shanks addressing him as a coward in front of Luffy. Although the relations or connections Luffy had with Shanks in the past are still a mystery before fans, on hearing Shank’s insult, Luffy became angry.
Using his Gear 4 Tankman, Luffy threw a punch at Loki, which appeared to damage him. This was a reply from Luffy to Shank’s insult and one of the quickest transformations Luffy has done. Luffy’s attack made Loki against him while Luffy relaxed knowing that he had given a brutal reaction to his inspiration’s insult. Luffy has always disliked people insulting Shanks, but this time, his reaction seems much more extreme than usual.
Luffy’s New Behavior
In the past, when Buggy insulted Shanks, Luffy got angry, but Buggy was already an enemy, and Luffy’s focus shifted to the damage Buggy did to his Straw Hats. Here lies a difference of circumstances, the way Luffy reacts to such things is changed now. This time, Luffy’s reaction to Loki’s insult toward Shanks is far more immediate and intense.
As mentioned earlier, Luffy’s actions and achievements are naturally similar to that of Ace. A parallel can be drawn to Marineford, where Ace, in his zeal to defend Whitebeard’s honor, reacted aggressively to Akainu’s insult, which ultimately contributed to his death.
Luffy’s reaction also contrasts with the lessons he learned from Shanks, Luffy’s intention is nothing like he doesn’t want anyone to be insulted, it’s just that he doesn’t allow anyone to harm, or insult the people he loves. This fact is further proved to be correct if we think about the Jaya Arc, Luffy’s first encounter with Bellamy, where he ignored the insults Bellamy threw at him.
Luffy has always been more protective of his friends when they’re insulted or harmed, yet he avoids unnecessary conflicts. His swift and violent response to the insult against Shanks seems to contradict this, but it doesn’t necessarily mean Luffy disregards Shanks’ teachings. Instead, it may show how Luffy’s personal growth and emotional attachment to Shanks are influencing his actions.
Keeping Ace’s Legacy Alive
Ace has become a major part of Luffy’s journey ever since they reunited in Alabasta. Despite Ace’s death, his essence is still alive in the series. For example, in the Dressrosa arc, Luffy wanted to claim the Flame Flame Fruit because of Ace.
He was also a part of the Wano Arc because of his connections to O-Tama and Yamato. Yamato was a close friend of Ace and because of this tie, he was eager to help Luffy. Even Jinbe decided to join Luffy because of his friendship with Ace, showing that Ace’s presence is still felt in the story.
Moreover, it’s not only Luffy who’s been trying to keep Ace’s memory alive but all the Former Whitebeard pirates are still deeply connected to him, especially Sabo. Sabo takes help from Ace’s Devil Fruit and his techniques to become the best revolutionary he possibly could be. Ace’s influence links Luffy and Sabo, and their shared memories of him strengthen their bond. Despite Ace’s death, he’s still alive in memories and loved even more. This is Oda’s way of showing the similarities between the two brothers.
Drastic Change in Luffy’s Behavior
The way Luffy responded to Loki, is similar to how Ace would act in such a situation. Based on his previous interactions with Buggy, it is clear that Luffy has never tolerated any disrespect neither of Shanks nor his rank. Luffy’s behavior hasn’t drastically changed, but the way he responds to Loki shows a more intense side of him, and this side of him is not only because of Ace’s influence.
It’s because of the past experiences he had, especially after the time skip. His past has introduced him to a new perspective on different things in life. However, the similarity between his and Ace’s traits is possibly because of the time they had spent together.
Is Being like Ace Good for Luffy?
Ace was a great pirate and a strong person along with good leadership strategies and friendly nature. However, he was also a stubborn, prideful, and impulsive person. These traits created many problems for him. Like in Marineford, his arrogance and impulsivity became a hindrance in his way of rescue. Therefore, these are the traits that Luffy shouldn’t adopt.
Many of the negative traits of Ace were due to his protectiveness towards his friends and the same goes for Luffy. Luffy’s desire to keep his people happy and save helped him defeat Kaido in Wano Arc. Luffy is much stronger than Ace but it’s necessary for him to avoid incorporating flaws of Ace in his life.
While Luffy may not have inherited Ace’s will in the traditional sense, he certainly carries many of Ace’s traits—his compassion, desire to protect, and fierce loyalty.
These traits, along with his growth, help Luffy honor Ace in his own way. Ace remains an important part of the story, and Luffy’s evolution is as much about learning from his brother’s mistakes as it is about carrying forward the lessons Ace imparted through their shared love and connection.
Conclusion
Luffy has always been more than just a resilient, relaxed, and carefree pirate. His strength, courage, and willingness to sacrifice for his friends are rooted in the lessons he learned from his bond with Ace. While Luffy may have inherited some of Ace’s traits, He also learned from Ace’s mistakes instead of repeating them and grew from his own experiences that truly sets him apart.
Through his actions, his relationships, and his relentless pursuit of his dreams, Luffy continues to honor Ace’s memory ensuring that his brother’s legacy lives on in the hearts of all who knew him.
In a world built on the idea of inherited will, Ace’s spirit remains a constant presence in Luffy’s life. Along with Luffy, some other characters like Sabo and Yamato also tried carrying his legacy ahead, proving that even in death, Ace’s influence will continue to shape the course of One Piece.
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