Edit note: Timeline updated with content featured up to chapter 1000.
Ace has become an extremely relevant character to the story of One Piece even with his death. It could be said that because of his death, Ace’s role in the story has transformed into an even more prominent one. Ace inspired both Luffy and Sabo and has become the driving force for both their adventures in the New World. Additionally, with the current events in Wano Kuni (as at chapter 987), Ace’s journey there 3-4 years ago is holding importance to the characters featured and the developments unraveling now.
Ace desired to help Tama and Wano Kuni when he was last there but presumably aware of his current strength at that time and his inability to take on Kaido, he departed Wano Kuni ensuring Tama that when he returns, Wano Kuni will be a country where she can eat all she wants. With that will unfulfilled, it now falls onto Luffy who has promised Tama that by the time the Straw Hat Pirates leave Wano Kuni, it will be a place she can eat as much as she wants, every single day. Considering how Ace’s adventure holds such an impact on the current events, it makes me wonder what exactly was Ace’s adventure like when he set sail 5 years ago?
Curious, I ended up creating a timeline based on the information available summarizing the events across the 3 years Ace was sailing and even beyond when his will was inherited by Luffy and Sabo.
Dawn Island – Five years prior to the present time (Ace aged 17 years old):
- Gol D. Ace (Portgas D. Ace) leaves Dawn Island to pursue his path as a pirate
- Start of Ace’s adventure
Some time after leaving Dawn Island (5 years prior to the present time):
- Ace is shipwrecked on the East Blue Island Sixis
- On the Island Ace meets a man who has abandoned his name
- Ace gives the man without a name the pseudonym Masked Deuce
- During a conversation about their families, Deuce realises that Ace is Gol D. Roger’s son resulting in Deuce leaving Ace
- A few days later, Deuce returns to find Ace still there and about to eat a fruit (Mera Mera no Mi)
- Ace notices a starving Deuce and offers the fruit to him
- Deuce feeling guilty at his attempted plot to steal the fruit from Ace by killing him, reconciles with Ace and the two agree to split the fruit
- Ace takes the first bite of the fruit and gains the power of the Mera Mera no Mi
- The two work together to build a ship which runs on Ace’s flames to escape – the ship Striker is created
- Ace and Deuce form the Spade Pirates with Ace being the Captain and Deuce the Doctor
- Deuce decides to write a novel about his experiences on the crew
Post Sixis Island (4-5 years prior to the present time):
- The Spade Pirates acquire the Piece of Spadille ship
- Ace and the Spade Pirates enter the Grand Line
Adventure on the Grand Line (4 years prior to the present time):
- Ace takes on his mother’s name and is now publicly known as Portgas D. Ace
- The Spade Pirates recruit more members (twenty crewmates) and became more infamous and as a result they are targeted by bounty hunters and the Marines
- One of Marines that target the Spade Pirates and continually chases them through Paradise is Ensign Isuka
- Garp finds out Ace has gone against his wishes and recommendation and become a pirate
- Sengoku takes note of the “D” in Portgas D. Ace’s name
Sabaody Archipelago (3-4 years prior to the present time):
- Ace reaches Sabaody Archipelago and has to wait three days for the ship coating to be completed
- Isuka encounters Ace on Sabaody Archipelago and explains to Ace why she hates Pirates and offers Ace a chance to become a Marine – Ace refuses
- Three days later, Ace and Deuce are approached by Isuka and Vice Admiral Draw with an official invitation from the World Government for Ace to join the Shichibukai – Ace refuses
- Ace and Draw fight
- Ace awakens his Busoshoku Haki during the fight
- Isuka realises it was Draw who burned her village down in the past and not Pirates
- Vice Admiral Draw is defeated
- Ace invites Isuka aboard his ship – Isuka refuses
Fish-Man Island (3-4 years prior to the present time):
- Ace receives a new bounty – above 100,000,000 Belly
- Ace burns down the Whitebeard Pirates’ flag to declare his intention of taking down the Yonko
New World (3-4 years prior to the present time):
- Whitebeard takes interest in Ace after seeing an article about him in the newspaper
- Ace tracks down Shanks on a winter Island and reveals his connection to Luffy
Wano Kuni (3-4 years prior to the present time):
- The Spade Pirates ship wash ashore Wano Kuni
- The starving Amigasa villages tie up the Spade Pirates and eat their food
- The Spade Pirates escape their bindings but hold no malice towards the villages
- Ace and the Spade Pirates befriend the villages
- Ace meets Tama and forms a bond with her
- During the several week stay, Ace learns how to weave a kasa
- The Spade Pirates learn of the situation within Wano Kuni from the people
- Ace heads to Onigashima Island to kill Kaido and to save the abducted Wano children kept on the Island
- Ace meets Yamato on Onigashima Island who informs him Kaido and the rest of the his men are on an expedition
- The Spade Pirates gather the abducted Wano children (including Tama) and prepare to head back to the mainland to return them to their awaiting families
- Ace and Yamato fight
- After finding out that Yamato is Kaido’s child and noticing Yamato’s bindings, Ace’s passionate words about not letting Kaido bind their heart inspires Yamato to confront their feelings and express what they truly desire – to go out to sea and to adventure
- Yamato destroys Kaido’s dragon statue at the entrance of Onigashima to express their conviction. Ace proceeds to acknowledge that spirit by damaging the statue as well
- Ace and Yamato tie up the remaining Beast Pirates on Onigashima
- Ace and Yamato share bottles of sake
- Ace notes that Yamato and him get along so well that it is a shame Yamato can’t leave Onigashima Island because of the explosive bindings
- Yamato promises Ace that when the bindings are removed, they will head out to sea too
- Upon Yamato’s request to hear stories of the new generation of pirate rookies making a name for themselves around the world, Ace mentions Cavendish, Kid, Law and Bege
- Ace also tells Yamato of the toughest Pirate rookie that won’t be setting sail for a few years – his younger brother, Luffy (Ace mentions Luffy several times to Yamato)
- Ace mentions Luffy’s dream to Yamato whom internally notes it being the same of the King of the Pirates
- Ace also mentions Sabo’s name to Yamato
- Yamato tells Ace they would not laugh at Luffy’s dream
- Yamato shares a story from Kozuki Oden’s journal concerning a “Great Man” (Gol D Roger)
- Yamato makes Ace a vivre card for him and promises to meet him again one day
- Tama request to join Ace but Ace refuses, promising to take her with him if she became a kunoichi by the time he returns to Wano Kuni with a bigger crew
- When leaving Wano Kuni, Ace tells Tama that the next time they come back to Wano Kuni, it will be a place where she can eat as much as she wants
Post-Wano Kuni (3-4 years prior to the present time):
- Around this time, both the Marines and Whitebeard realise that Roger’s blood had survived
- Ace continues to search for Whitebeard visiting one of Whitebeard’s islands
- Jinbe confronts the Spade Pirates
- Angered by Ace burning Whitebeard’s flag in Fish-Man Island, Jinbe battles Ace to prevent him from going after Whitebeard
- The battle last for five days and ends in a stalemate – both fighters collapse from exhaustion
- Whitebeard arrives after the battle and attacks the Spade Pirates
- Whitebeard defeats Ace and the Spade Pirates
- Whitebeard offers Ace a position in his crew – Ace refuses
- Ace is knocked out and taken aboard the Moby Dick
- The rest of the Spade Pirates try to retrieve Ace but are beaten up by the Whitebeard Pirates and captured
Aboard the Moby Dick (3-4 years prior to the present time):
- Despite Ace’s lack of approval, Ace is recognised as part of Whitebeard’s crew
- Ace remains on the Moby Dick to ensure his crew stay alive
- Everyday Ace attempts to murder Whitebeard but it easily repelled – at least a 100 attempts
- After witnessing the crew dynamics and talking to Marco, Ace gives in and accepts Whitebeard’s mark on his back
- The Spade Pirates become part of the Whitebeard Pirates
- Ace burns down the Piece of Spadille ship and his jolly roger
Part of the Whitebeard Pirates (2-4 years prior to the present time):
- Ace meets Izo
- Ace defeats Doma and forces him to surrender
- Ace is promoted to the position of 2nd division commander
- Ace request Whitebeard to attack Kaido and help save Wano Kuni. Whitebeard refuses.
- Izo mentions they only learned of Oden’s death several years after the fact
- Marco mentions they considered moving on Wano many times but never did in the end due to the damage that could be inflicted onto the people of Wano. The Whitebeard Pirates did not want to add to the people of Wano Kuni’s sufferng
- Ace request Whitebeard to let him go on his own so that he can fulfill his promise. Whitebeard refuses stating that Ace can’t hope to defeat someone Oden couldn’t defeat. Whitebeard proceeds to beats Ace up.
- Teach amused at Ace mentions how he gets Ace wanting to take out a big shot
- Marco tells Teach to back off as Ace isn’t doing this to hunt down “big shots”
- Izo and Marco express to Ace that if Whitebeard ever gives Ace the go ahead, he must send them an invitation to join
- Ace reveals his lineage to Whitebeard who responded by telling Ace that his past does not matter as everyone is a “child of the sea”
- Ace makes a kasa and gives it to Little Oars Jr to help protect him from the sun
The Hunt for Blackbeard (2 years prior to current events):
- During their travels, Thatch finds the Yami Yami no Mi but Teach kills him, steals the fruit, consumes it and flees the Whitebeard Pirates
- As the Commander of the 2nd Division which Teach was part of, Ace feels responsible and demands Whitebeard to allow him to go after Teach
- Whitebeard allows Ace to go
- Ace begins his mission to hunt down Teach and deliver justice for his betrayal
Drum Island Arc (2 years prior to current events):
- Ace follows Teach to the Drum Kingdom which had been pillaged by the Pirate crew Teach had formed – the Blackbeard Pirates
- Ace aware that Luffy has begun his journey to become a pirate, he leaves a message with the people for Luffy noting that he will wait for Luffy in the city of Nanohana, Alabasta in 10 days time
Alabasta Arc (2 years prior to current events):
- Ace and Luffy meet
- Ace saves Luffy from being captured by Smoker
- Ace meets up with Luffy again on the Going Merry
- Ace gives Luffy a piece of his Vivre Card
- Ace is relieved Luffy has such wonderful and reliable nakama
- Ace thanks Zoro, Nami, Usopp, Sanji, Chopper and Vivi for looking after his little brother
Jaya Arc (2 years prior to current events):
- Ace crashes Buggy’s party and helps himself to the food and drinks
- Ace tells Buggy that he can help him find Luffy
Ace’s Great Blackbeard Search (manga cover story):
- Ace angers some villages in an unnamed town in the Lulusia Kingdom and is kicked into a river
- Ace is rescued from the river by Moda who helps nurse him back to health
- Ace infiltrates a Marine base (G-2) to deliver a letter to the parents of Moda
- Ace acquires vital information on Blackbeard but is exposed when he saves a Marine
- Before escaping, Ace delivers Moda’s letter to Vice Admiral Comil
- Thanks to Ace, Moda was able to reunite with her parents who worked as chefs on one of the Marines’ ships (Moda appears again post time-skip when she defeated Pinkbeard)
- Indirectly thanks to Ace, the G-2 Marine base was able to procure a supplier for milk (Moda) which helped save the Marines from the bitter coffee served during the meetings
Post Enies Lobby Arc – Shanks and Whitebeard meet (2 years prior to current events):
- Shanks meets Whitebeard in person and warns him about Blackbeard and the ambitions Teach kept hidden from him for over two and a half decades
- Shanks request Whitebeard to stop Ace from pursuing Teach – Whitebeard refuses
- The two clash and split the ‘heavens’
- Around about this point in time the current bounty level for Ace is 550,000,000 Belly
Duel at Banaro Island (2 years prior to current events):
- Ace tracks Teach down and confronts the Blackbeard Pirates on Banaro Island
- Teach offers Ace a position on his crew – Ace refuses
- In order to provide justice for Thatch and to prevent the Blackbeard Pirates from going after Luffy, Ace fights them
- Ace battles Blackbeard and comes to learn about the special properties of the Yami Yami no Mi
- Teach ask Ace again to join him – Ace refuses
- After a giant clash of Fire and Darkness, Ace loses to Teach and his ‘darkness’
- Teach captures Ace and hands him over to the Marines allowing Teach to gain the position of Shichibukai
Thriller Bark Arc (2 years prior to current events):
- Luffy checks the Vivre Card Ace gave him when he notices Lola giving Nami a similar piece of paper
- Luffy notices the Vivre Card is burning
- Lola tells Luffy that the person the card belongs to, their life has started fading
- Luffy is worried about Ace but settles on the decision that Ace is on his own adventure and won’t want Luffy coming to help him
Amazon Lily Arc (2 years prior to current events):
- Gloriosa informs Luffy that the World Government intends to publicly execute Portgas D. Ace
- Luffy comes to find out that Blackbeard defeated Ace and handed him over to the Marines to become a Shichibukai
- Luffy checks Ace’s Vivre Card and notices that it faded even more
- Luffy resolves to save Ace
- Hancock agrees to help Luffy
Impel Down Arc (2 years prior to current events):
- Garp meets Ace in Impel Down level 6
- Ace talks about the blood that flows through him and tells Garp the only father he has is Whitebeard
- Jinbe for not wanting to take part in the war against Whitebeard is imprisoned within the same cell as Ace
- Jinbe expresses that he wants to stop the war and save Ace
- Ace tells Jinbe about Luffy and how relieved he was when he saw Luffy surrounded by a crew of wonderful nakama
- Hancock visits Ace and when Magellan and Co. are distracted by the other prisoners, Hancock tells Ace that Luffy has broken into Impel Down to free him
- Before Luffy and Co. make it the level 6 prisons, Ace is taken by Magellan to be transferred to Marineford where his execution stand awaits
- Ace begins to resists on level 1 Impel Down after he hears the report and gets confirmation that Luffy really did break into Impel Down
- Ace is taken aboard a Marine ship part of a fleet in the custody of Vice Admiral Onigumo to be transferred to Marineford
- Laffitte hypnotizes the Marineford Gate guards to open the Gates of Justice for any ship that approaches
- Blackbeard leaves Marineford to head for Impel Down
- Luffy escapes Impel Down with Jinbe and Co.
- Bentham aka Mr. 2 Bon Kurei stays behind to open the Gates of Justice for Luffy and Co.
The Marineford Arc (2 years prior to current events):
- Ace is taken to the execution stand three hours prior to the scheduled execution time
- Luffy and Co. sail to Marineford on a Marine battleship via the Tarai current
- Sengoku announces to the world that Ace’s biological father is Gol D. Roger and why publicly executing Ace is so meaningful to the World Government
- The Marineford Gates of Justice opens for Luffy and Co.
- Whitebeard arrives with his fleet at Marineford
- Little Oars Jr rushes forward to save Ace but is attacked by Kuma, the Marines, Doflamingo and Moria before collapsing meters short from Ace’s execution platform
- Sengoku decides to execute Ace before the scheduled time
- Garp is conflicted about what to do and can only sit next to Ace and question him about why he did not listen to him
- Luffy arrives at Marineford with the escaped Impel Down prisoners
- Ace tells Luffy not to interfere as he did not want his actions to drag Luffy down
- Luffy refuses to listen to Ace and declares that he is going to save Ace even if it kills him
- Ace tells Garp that he accepts his situation and won’t resist whatever is going to happen to him – whether it is him being saved or killed
- The Moby Dick is destroyed by Sakazuki’s lava/magma attacks
- Crocodile stops the executioners from carrying out Ace’s execution
- At the sight of his family fighting to save him, Ace can’t help by tear up and express how happy he is – at a time like this, he wants to live
- Luffy releases his Haoshoku Haki to stop the executioners from trying to carry out Ace’s execution again
- Garp tries to stop Luffy from reaching Ace but the thought of himself being responsible for the deaths of his sons leads Garp to hold back and allow himself to be taken down by Luffy’s punch
- Ace is saved by Luffy and Galdino.
- Ace and Luffy work together to fight the Marines and open a path to escape
- Whitebeard orders his crew to leave him behind so that he can grant them the opportunity and path to escape
- Ace expresses his gratitude to Whitebeard
- Unable to ignore Sakazuki’s taunts regarding Whitebeard, Ace stops and confronts Sakazuki only to be overpowered by Sakazuki’s Magma
- With Ace injured and Luffy exhausted, Sakazuki proceeds to attack Luffy with the intention to kill Dragon’s son
- Ace wills his body in front of Sakazuki’s attack, saving Luffy from it
- Jinbe arrives to stop Sakazuki from finishing off Ace and Luffy
- Garp overwhelmed by anger is held back by Sengoku
- Ace aware that he is about to die, leaves Luffy with his final message – despite being told by others that Roger’s son should not exist, he has come to find himself surrounded by a wonderful family and wishes to thank them all for loving him…
- The only regret Ace has is not being able to see Luffy become the next Pirate King but deep down he knows that as his younger brother, Luffy will achieve that dream
- Portgas D. Ace, the son of Gol D. Roger, at the age of 20, dies…
- Luffy in a state of shock, despair and exhaustion, is rendered unconscious
- Blackbeard arrives with the escaped level 6 Impel Down prisoners he recruited to join his crew and proceeds to kill Whitebeard and steal his Gura Gura no Mi power
- Jinbe and the Whitebeard Pirates protect Luffy in Ace’s place and along with Crocodile and Buggy they are able to get Luffy aboard Law’s submarine, the Polar Tang
- Shanks arrives with his crew and ask Buggy to return the Straw Hat to Luffy
- Law escapes with Luffy and medically attends to his injuries ultimately saving his life
- Shanks ends the war
Post-Marineford Arc (2 years prior to current events):
- News spreads that the war is over and Yonko Whitebeard and Fire Fist Ace are dead – the world celebrates
- Pirates celebrate at the reality of One Piece existing and prepare to rush onto the seas
- The “Worst Generation” begins to move
- Shanks and the Whitebeard Pirates take Ace and Whitebeard’s bodies to the New World to be buried on a certain Island (close to where Whitebeard grew up)
- Hancock allows Luffy and Jinbe to hide out on the Isle of Women
- Jinbe helps Luffy through his grief and depression by reminding Luffy that everything is not lost – he still has people who love him and who he loves
- Sabo reads the article about the Marineford War and reacts to the image of Ace and the caption of him being dead – memories of his past come flooding back reminding Sabo that Ace and Luffy are his brothers – the shock renders Sabo unconscious for three days
- Yamato notices the disappearance of Ace’s vivre
- Shortly after, Yamato learns of the truth of Ace’s death from the newspaper
During the Time Skip (2 years worth):
- Aware of how weak he is, Luffy agrees to train with Silvers Rayleigh over the next two years to help train his Haki so that he can activate it at will and begin to understand the fundamentals of Busoshoku, Kenbunshoku and Haoshoku Haki
- Sabo now having regained his memories regrets not being there to help Luffy save Ace but is relieved that Luffy survived – Sabo likely requested additional training from Dragon over the next two years to ensure that he was strong enough to protect those he cares for, including his younger brother in case Luffy ever needs him
- Robin likely shares stories of Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates with Sabo (and Koala)
- Doflamingo procures the Mera Mera no Mi
- Tama is still waiting for Ace’s return
- Yamato is waiting for Luffy’s arrival
Payback War (1 Year Ago):
- Marco gathers the Whitebeard Pirates and goes to war with the Blackbeard Pirates seeking revenge for what Teach has done
- Both crews bring their full forces and ultimately the Whitebeard Pirates suffer an overwhelming defeat
- After their defeats, the commanders of the Whitebeard Pirates go into hiding and disappear from the focus of the world
- Marco goes to Whitebeard’s home village and works as a doctor there
- Blackbeard is now known as one of the Yonko
Fish-Man Island Arc (~over a month prior to current time):
- Luffy reveals his Red Hawk attack that integrates flames into his punch – achieved through the combination of Busoshoku Haki and Gear Second
- Jinbe saves Luffy life again
- Luffy invites Jinbe to join his crew – Jinbe refuses at this point in time
- Sabo visits Ace’s grave and leaves three sake cups and a bottle of sake as a tribute to the day Ace, Luffy and himself became brothers
- Sabo also leaves the newspaper article featuring the Straw Hats’ return on Ace’s gravestone
Dressrosa Arc (~over a month prior to current time):
- Luffy enters Doflamingo’s tournment as “Lucy” in order to win the Mera Mera no Mi
- Luffy meets Sabo at the Corrida Colosseum
- Sabo ask Luffy for permission to eat the Mera Mera no Mi – Luffy gladly grants it
- Sabo wins the tournament, retrieves the Mera Mera no Mi and consumes it
- Sabo attains the Mera Mera no Mi power symbolising the continued inheritance of Ace’s will
- Sabo stops the Marines from going after the Straw Hat Pirates
- Sabo reveals to Admiral Fujitora that Ace, Luffy and himself are brothers
- Sabo saves Luffy from Burgess and defeats him
- A defeated Burgess sneaks aboard the Revolutionary Army ship that heads for the Revolutionary Headquarters in Baltigo
Zou Arc (~3 weeks prior to current events):
- Sabo tells Dragon about Luffy
- Sabo trains at Baltigo to familiarize himself with the Mera Mera no Mi powers
- With Burgess in Baltigo, he calls Laffitte and ask him to tell Teach to follow his Vivre Card and attack the Revolutionary Army base
- The Blackbeard Pirates destroy the Revolutionary Army Headquarters on Baltigo
- The Revolutionary, including Sabo, are able to escape Baltigo
- The Blackbeard Pirates acquire the weapons stored at Baltigo, including the weapons the Revolutionary Army procured from Dressrosa that were made from a special metal known as “Liquor Iron Ore”
Whole Cake Island Arc (~3 weeks prior to current events):
- Luffy hears about the destruction of Baltigo from Pedro and Nami who reads the days newspaper
- Nami, Brook, Chopper, Pedro and Carrot come to find out that Luffy’s other elder brother is the number two man of the Revolutionary Army
- On a side note, Luffy see’s a picture of his father, Monkey D. Dragon, for the first time
- After attacking Big Mom’s territory, retrieving Sanji, disrupting the Tea Party, destroying Whole Cake Chateau, incentivizing the betrayal of the Firetank Pirates and the Sun Pirates, allying with the Kingdom of Germa, defeating two of the three Sweet Commanders, including the billion belly bounty Charlotte Katakuri who was undefeated until that point, and escaping Totta Land alive, Luffy’s bounty increases to 1,500,000,000 Belly
- “Big News” Morgans declares Straw Hat Luffy the Fifth Yonko
Levely/Reverie Arc (~2 weeks prior to current events):
- Sabo and the Revolutionary Commanders sneak into Marijoa to declare war against the Tenryuubito and to free Kuma
- Sabo, Karasu, Morley and Lindbergh witness Kuma being tortured
- On the fourth day of the Levely, Sabo and his group clash with Marine Admirals Fujitora and Ryokugyu in order to take back Kuma
- The conclusion of the battle has yet to be revealed but the World Economy News Paper run by Morgans covered the story and featured an article concerning a shocking incident involving Sabo
- Koala, Makino and Dadan are deeply saddened by the news involving Sabo
Wano Kuni Arc (begins 2 weeks prior to current events):
- Luffy arrives on Wano Kuni
- Luffy meets Tama and finds out about her relation to Ace
- Luffy breaks the news to Tama that Ace died two years ago – Tama does not believe Luffy initially
- Luffy saves Tama from the Beast Pirates and in the process, Tama comes to see the similarities between Luffy and Ace
- Luffy and Tama become friends – Luffy promises Tama that before he leaves Wano Kuni, he will change the nation into one where she can eat as much as she wants everyday
- Jinbe returns to the Straw Hat Pirates and joins the crew as their Helmsman
- Luffy meets Yamato
- Yamato expresses their intent to fight alongside Luffy to defeat Kaido
- Luffy liberates Yamato from their explosive bindings put on by Kaido that they were bound by for twenty years
- Yamato mentions Ace to Momonosuke and Shinobu and how Ace attempted to save Wano Kuni by stopping Kaido
- Momonosuke finds out from Yamato that Ace is Roger’s son and Luffy’s older brother
- Tama is told by Nami that Luffy is Ace’s younger brother
We have yet to have Ace’s adventure on Wano Kuni fully explored but what we do know is that when he left, he had every intention of returning and helping the people of Wano Kuni. Sadly, before he had the chance to return, he was killed. My theory on Ace and Yamato’s relation and why Whitebeard did not rush to Wano Kuni after Ace joined. During the time Ace was part of the Whitebeard Pirates, he had shared his adventures on Wano Kuni with the crew. I am also very curious to see how the meeting between Yamato and Marco will play out considering their shared connection to two deceased individuals that were former Whitebeard Pirates – my theory on Yamato and Marco.
Thank you for reading.
12Dimension 