ACE♤🇵🇸

Reader: Greetings, Odacchi-sensei. Good evening (?). I have a question. Do the marks on the hat Portgas D. Ace was wearing mean the following? 😔: Was it okay for me to be born into this world? 😁: After meeting Pops and Luffy, and being loved so much, I’m glad I was born. Thank you. …or something like that, meant to represent Ace’s question and the “answer” he found? No—it has to be that! When Ace said his final words before dying, his expressions were the same as the ones on his hat. Oda: Hmm, I see. I’ve received quite a number of postcards about this. Those “marks” and his “final expressions,” huh… they really are the same. I was also shocked when this was first pointed out to me (haha). What’s funny is that, by pure coincidence, it ended up becoming true. Back when Ace was first introduced, I had a vague idea of what this guy’s destiny would be, but those marks were just plain accessories, so I never intended for them to have a deep meaning. As for Ace’s expressions when he was dying, I simply thought it would be appropriate and drew those two panels next to each other. Realistically, he was in pain—burning, hurting, feeling terrible, and not wanting to die. Still, there was also the feeling of having no regrets. He was probably trying to convey that this was how he truly felt to Luffy, and that’s what his smile represents. When a person cradles a crying baby, they always smile, right? It’s the same idea. Because he wants the other person to smile, he dies with a peaceful smile in the end, and I think that shows his kindness. With that in mind, I drew those panels. Ah—my explanation got a bit long. Well, anyway, it’s amazing how you all notice things like this. (via One Piece SBS Volume 61)