Would Ace Have Become As Strong As Whitebeard If He Survived In One Piece?

One Piece has given fans some of the most powerful and legendary pirates in anime history, and Ace was one of them. As the son of Gol D. Roger and a member of Whitebeard's crew, Ace had immense potential. However, his life was tragically cut short at Marineford, leaving fans to wonder: if he had survived, could he have reached the same level as Whitebeard?

Ace was already a powerful pirate with the Mera Mera no Mi and incredible Haki. He was strong enough to command the Whitebeard Pirates’ second division and fight equally against powerful enemies. But becoming as strong as Whitebeard is a different challenge. Let’s break it down and see if Ace could have truly matched the legendary pirate in One Piece.

Ace’s Strength At The Time Of His Death

At the time of Marineford, Ace was undoubtedly strong, but he was not at the level of the strongest pirates in the world. He possessed the Mera Mera no Mi, which gave him incredible fire-based abilities. His Logia-type fruit allowed him to become fire itself, making him nearly invincible to physical attacks. He also had strong Armament and Observation Haki, although he wasn’t known for using Conqueror’s Haki in battle.

Ace had shown his strength in fights against Jinbe, Blackbeard, and even Aokiji. He fought Jinbe for five days, which proves his endurance. Against Blackbeard, he demonstrated his powerful fire techniques, but ultimately, he was defeated due to Blackbeard’s Yami Yami no Mi, which nullified Devil Fruit abilities. This showed that while Ace was strong, he still had weaknesses that prevented him from standing at the very top.

What He Needed To Reach Whitebeard’s Level

Whitebeard wasn’t just strong because of his powerful Devil Fruit - the Gura Gura no Mi, he was a monster in physical combat, Haki mastery, and experience. To reach Whitebeard’s level, Ace would have needed to improve in several areas:

• Stronger Haki: Whitebeard had one of the strongest Haki users in history. Ace needed to master all three forms, especially Conqueror’s Haki, and learn advanced techniques like Luffy did in Wano.

• More Experience: Whitebeard had decades of battles under his belt. If Ace had survived, he would have needed years of intense training and combat experience to match his captain.

• Better Devil Fruit Mastery: While Ace was great at using the Mera Mera no Mi, he could have awakened his Devil Fruit like Doflamingo and Katakuri did. An awakened Mera Mera no Mi would have made his fire abilities even stronger, possibly allowing him to burn even intangible things like Kaido’s dragon scales.

• Physical Strength and Endurance: Whitebeard was an absolute tank, taking insane amounts of damage and still standing. Ace, on the other hand, was still somewhat reliant on his Devil Fruit. Training his body to take more punishment would have been essential.

Could Ace Have Surpassed Whitebeard In One Piece?

While Ace had the potential to become one of the strongest pirates in the world, surpassing Whitebeard would have been incredibly difficult. Whitebeard was known as the 'Strongest Man in the World' and was on par with Gol D. Roger. Even though Ace was Roger’s son, he still had a long way to go before reaching that level.

That being said, if Ace had survived and continued to grow, he could have become a top-tier pirate, possibly rivaling the likes of villains like Kaido, or other powerful characters like Luffy and Shanks. With enough time and the right training, he could have become a major player in the final battle of One Piece.

Final Verdict: Possibly A Strong Emperor But Not At Par With Whitebeard

Ace had the potential to become one of the strongest pirates in the world, but surpassing Whitebeard would have been an enormous challenge. He would have needed decades of training, better Haki control, and a deeper mastery of his Devil Fruit.

While we will never know for sure, it’s likely that Ace could have become as strong as an Emperor, but matching Whitebeard’s legendary power might have been just out of reach.