Portgas D. Ace’s Hidden Haki, Explained

This article contains spoilers from One Piece’s Final Saga.

Key Takeaways

• Ace possessed the ability to use all types of Haki, showcasing his immense power and potential as a fighter.
• Despite his reliance on the Mera Mera no Mi, Ace was a skilled user of Armament Haki, as seen in his battle with Vice Admiral Draw.
• Ace’s untimely demise prevented him from fully realizing his potential, which was deemed to be greater than Luffy’s by some.

Portgas D. Ace is one of the most important characters in One Piece and an individual that fans have come to love over the years. In the first half of the series, Ace debuted during the Arabasta Arc, where it was revealed that he was Luffy’s elder brother. Ace went on to become a point of focus after his battle against Blackbeard, which led to him being handed over to the Marines and, eventually, set up his execution in the Summit War. Given his importance in the story as a pirate, and of course, more importantly, Luffy’s older brother, Ace was always meant to be very powerful.

In fact, his debut with the power of the Mera Mera no Mi, was proof enough for the fans that he was one of the strongest in the story at the time. However, Ace ended up dying in the Paramount War, where it was made clear to the fans that he wasn’t in the same league as the likes of Akainu, after all. Yet, Ace remains to be one of the most underrated characters in One Piece, and very few individuals even know of the fact that Ace possessed the ability to utilize powerful Haki.

Portgas D. Ace’s Haki Types

• Ace is a user of all Haki types
• Ace is one of the youngest Conqueror’s Haki users

When it comes to Ace’s strength, fans know that he was reliant on the Mera Mera no Mi. This devil fruit was incredibly powerful, and certainly one of the best logia that fans had seen. It allowed him to manipulate flames, as well as transform into flames at will. Ace continued its use in the many battles that he fought in One Piece, which included the fight against Smoker and, of course, later down the line, Blackbeard and others in the Paramount War. While the Mera Mera no Mi, Which Ace had mastered over the years, was often regarded as his best source of strength, very few fans know that Ace was also an avid user of Haki, making him one of the mightiest fighters in the story. In fact, Ace could use all three types of Haki and he was a great user of them.

Luffy, you have it too? – Ace

Ace’s Observation Haki has not been focused on much in the series, but, given that he was a pirate in the New World where he fought against other powerful individuals, it is no surprise to know that he held this ability. When it comes to the Color of the Supreme King, Most fans know that Ace held this Haki type and he awakened it at a very young age when he saved Dadan during the day Grey Terminal was burnt down by the Nobles of Goa Kingdom. This was certainly impressive, and he held the potential to eventually go on to learn how to infuse it as well. Unfortunately, this day never came.

How Ace Gained and Improved His Armament Haki

Ace Awakened Color of Arms Haki On Sabaody Archipelago

Ace has not used Observation Haki explicitly in One Piece, but what is clear is that he had the ability to utilize Armament Haki to great effect, which is something that hardly anyone knows. Ace awakened the power of Armament Haki during his journey through the Grand Line. Specifically, on the island of Sabaody Archipelago, Ace faced off against Vice Admiral Draw of the Marines. Being a Vice Admiral, Draw had access to Armament Haki and he posed all sorts of problems for Ace, who, at this point, thought being a Logia meant that he could defeat most individuals effortlessly.

I will never run away! – Ace

While Ace struggled in this fight at first, he was revealed to be such a genius that he managed to learn Armament Haki by observing it in combat, and utilized it against Draw. Ace’s Armament Haki was incredibly powerful, to the point where this Vice Admiral was easily defeated. Ace was also offered the chance to join the Seven Warlords of the Sea, but he clearly rejected the offer, knowing that he had greater goals in sight.

Around the Fishman Island Arc, and almost in the New World, Ace continued to grow his Haki even further. Fans know that when he clashed against Jinbe, he pulled off one of the most shocking feats. During this battle, Ace was able to perforate Jinbe’s Armament Haki with just his flames. When these two fought, fans got to see Ace’s level. As is clear, Jinbe is a very mighty individual who has a bounty of 1.11 billion berries. Yet, in a fight against Ace, he was the one who fell first. In fact, after the battle against Jinbe concluded, which many claim to be a tie, Ace continued fighting against Whitebeard in a ring of fire and stood his ground until he eventually passed out.

When he continued to train with Whitebeard, Ace’s strength over both his Devil Fruit abilities as well as his Haki improved dramatically. He became one of the strongest fighters, and it can be said safely that his bounty of 550 million berries did not do him justice by any means. Ace was clearly in the same league as a billion-berry pirate, if not more, and this was well reflected in the Paramount War, where he clashed against Kuzan of the Marines and held his own incredibly well. Even before that, Ace faced off against Yamato in Wano, and he held his own incredibly well, despite Yamato being a skilled user of Haki of all three types, including Conqueror’s Haki Infusion. This battle resulted in a tie as well, once again showcasing that Ace held an Incredibly high level of power.

Of course, Ace was burned in the battle against Akainu, but that was always bound to happen and in the end, he ended up sacrificing his life for Luffy. Ace’s strength has always been underrated, which is, unfortunately, down to the fact that fans did not get to see much of his journey until recently.

Ace’s Potential As A Fighter Was Enormous

Ace is Among One Piece’s Most Talented

Unfortunately, Ace ended up dying in One Piece, but, had he survived, he would have gone on to conquer the era. Ace had tremendous potential, such that Sengoku openly stated that he would go on to become the leader of the new generation and become the next Roger. This would mean that had Ace gotten time to grow into his abilities, he would have attained bounties closer to 5 billion and terrorized the Government in his own way. His potential could be even greater than that of Luffy, and that certainly goes to say a lot.

The biggest reason why the Navy absolutely had to execute Ace was because he was carrying Roger’s blood and they knew that if they made the mistake of letting him escape somehow, they would pay the price in the future, because Ace held that kind of potential. As fans know, in the end, Ace ended up dying and he never fulfilled his potential. But, he lived his life like a flame, incredibly bright and quick to burn out.

One Piece is available to read via Viz Media. The series can be read by the fans officially and for free on the Shonen Jump and the Manga Plus apps. The release date for the next chapter of One Piece, One Piece 1132, is set to be December 1, 2024.