Ace Turning Around Isnt So They Can Kill Him Off Its To Enhance His Character - Tumblr Posts
fans can believe what they want about who is really responsible for Ace's death but it just really rubs me the wrong way when some fans are so victim blamy and say that Ace got himself killed. okay yes he did put himself in harms way by giving in to Akainu's taunting of Whitebeard and had to save Luffy but I think the narrative makes it clear that he was doomed to death no matter what.
I just think it's very clear that the main reason the navy wanted to put Ace to death was first and foremost because he was Roger's son, not because of his own crimes of piracy. sure the Marines made a public show of it because they wanted to start a war with Whitebeard and executing his second division commander would provoke Whitebeard into waging that war. however, I think the navy would have had a public execution for any of the WB pirates that they could've gotten their hands on, it just happened to be Ace because of Blackbeard capturing him. remember, Blackbeard was originally planning on turning in Luffy to the Marines. him getting Ace instead is what instigated the Marines declaring war on Whitebeard.
the thing is, they would have executed Ace no matter what though, regardless of him being a Whitebeard pirate and regardless of him being a pirate at all. nothing would change the fact that Ace was the biological son of the Pirate King. the navy had been trying to kill Ace since before he was born. he was doomed from the start. the fact that they would have killed him as an infant should be enough to show that the Marines would have targeted Ace no matter what, so Akainu (or any Marine) killing him was basically inevitable. that doesn't say to me that Ace caused his own death.
there is nothing that Ace could or should have done - or shouldn't have done - that could have saved him. that's why I don't like when some fans say he died because of a "yo daddy joke." I just don't see it that way at all.
Ace's life was in danger the moment he was conceived just because of who had fathered him. he understandably resented that as it caused him a great deal of pain. he eventually found his true father in Whitebeard, who he loved and respected unconditionally and probably felt that love and respect back. however misguided, it's no wonder that he stopped and faced off against Akainu for insulting Whitebeard.
Ace famously never ran away from a fight, not just because he thought it was cowardly, but because he was worried he would leave something (someone) behind. then Akainu goes on to taunt Ace about WB retreating, essentially running away, and Ace might be projecting and think that Akainu is saying that Whitebeard is leaving him (Ace) behind. Ace can't retreat because that would be putting his loved ones in danger, so Whitebeard also can't retreat for the same reason in Ace's mind. and Akainu implying that WB would turn his back on his loved ones is what makes Ace stop and challenge him. at least that's how I interpret that interaction.
he died protecting Luffy and standing up for Whitebeard. he died protecting his brother and chosen father. protecting their life and reputation respectively. I think that's so tragic and beautiful and I think something is lost when it's joked about and sneered at as Ace just being a pig-headed idiot who couldn't take some taunting about his captain.
yes, in hindsight it was a dumb decision to stop and argue with Akainu on the battlefield as they were making their escape. I'm not saying he didn't make a fatal mistake. I just think too many fans take it at face value and see nothing more than Ace falling for a stupid taunt without unpacking why Ace did that. he's a flawed character and his flaws had consequences and repercussions but more importantly, when looking at it narratively, that flaw makes sense.