One Piece is an anime that certainly has its share of strong and powerful characters. And while its protagonist, Monkey D. Luffy, is certainly one of them, some characters could be even more powerful than the manga's cheerful and quirky protagonist. In this article, we'll analyze one of those potential characters, pitting Luffy against Portgas D. Ace, his deceased friend and brother, who was also one of the most powerful characters in the series.

Luffy is stronger than Ace and would be able to defeat him in a fight. As someone who survived a fight with Blackbeard, Ace has long been more powerful than Luffy. But even if we ignore the fact that Ace is dead, Luffy became stronger than Ace when he activated Gear 5 and the true nature of his Devil Fruit, becoming one of the most powerful characters in One Piece history.

The rest of this article will expand on the answer given above, as we compare Luffy and Ace in more detail. Through several categories, you'll see who is the stronger of the two and why our answer is the way it is—that is, why Luffy would ultimately be able to defeat Ace in a fight.

Physical powers

Luffy possesses immense physical strength, enough to lift gigantic boulders and shatter steel with his bare hands. His physical strength comes in part from the training his grandfather Garp subjected him to as a child, during which he survived critical circumstances and faced enormous ferocious beasts. Even as a child, he defeated adults and endured torture at the hands of Polchemy.

His physical strength is such that he can defeat the strongest fugitives of the Eastern Sea and rival even that of the fish-men, as demonstrated in the battles against Arlong and Hody Jones, whose strength was even greater than that of the average of their race. . Especially against Hody, after two years of training, he showed himself clearly superior, so much so that he defeated him despite being fed energy steroids.

In addition to the abilities he gained from consuming a Devil Fruit, Ace was incredibly physically strong. His ability to defeat some local bullies who claimed his father "should die" when he was a child and his ability to sit on a large animal (possibly a bull) that he had killed with his staff during his first encounter with Luffy were two indications of his physical strength potential. Later footage showed him easily climbing down a huge tree. Three years before Luffy left his family, Ace had already developed considerable strength.

Ace demonstrated his strength during the battle with Blackbeard. Blackbeard landed numerous punches on Ace, two of which nearly broke his nose and caused him to bleed. Ace then fought back. Van Augur stated that even without his Devil Fruit abilities, Ace was a powerful fighter and the leader of the Whitebeard Pirates' second division.

Initially, Ace was stronger than Luffy, but there is the fact that Luffy has refined his strength over the years and has surpassed Ace's level, which is why he wins the point.

Points: Luffy 1, Ace 0

Devil Fruit

Luffy ate the Devil Fruit Gomu Gomu, which allowed him to stretch his body parts and strike his enemies from long distances. Although he struggled to fully control its power as a child, after over a decade of intense training, Luffy was able to use the fruit to exponentially improve his physical strength and agility, making him a dangerous opponent. It was later revealed that his Gomu Gomu no Mi is actually the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika, which gave Luffy even more powers and abilities.

Despite his fighting style appearing improvised at times, it is precisely his creativity that makes him an unpredictable opponent, capable of turning critical situations around by occasionally adapting to the fight. His rubber body also makes him extremely durable and immune to sea bullets, normal blows, and even electricity. However, he is not immune to swords and knives, nor to dehydration or poison, although, after the fight with Magellan, he becomes immune to a wide variety of them.

Ace ate the Mera Mera no Mi, a Logia-type Devil Fruit, granting him pyrogenic powers, hence his nickname "Burning Fist Ace." Ace also demonstrated his immense power by easily destroying several Baroque Works ships with a single blow. For some reason, Ace cares very little for his inability to swim, as shown by his risk of ending up in the water when destroying the Baroque Works ships. This power also allowed him to stop the snowfall on Drum Island the night he was traveling there.

Ace handles his Devil Fruit very well, as evidenced by his boat named Striker. It is a cross between a rowboat and a windsurfing board powered by a rear engine, which Ace powers with his flames. However, being composed of fire did not protect him against Akainu's power, who managed to inflict a fatal wound on him while his Logia powers were still active. This is because Ace's Devil Fruit is at a disadvantage compared to Akainu's power. After his death, it was revealed that Ace's "Burning Fists" could reduce cities to ash.

If this comparison had been focused on Luffy's Gomu Gomu no Mi, we would have ruled in favor of Ace, but since Luffy's Devil Fruit is the Hito Hito no Mi, model: Nika, we have to give this one to Straw Hat as well.

Points: Luffy 2, Ace 0

RIGHT

Rayleigh trained Luffy to become an expert Haki user. He knows how to use Observation Haki, which he first instinctively used against Mihawk, avoiding a blow that would have severed his arms. He also masters Armament Haki to a high degree, making it an essential component of Gear Four. Using this ability combined with the powers of his own Devil Fruit, Luffy can also ignite his fists with friction.

He also knows how to use the rarest form of Haki, Royal Haki, which is his favorite. With it, he could knock out fifty thousand fishmen in one blow. During his confrontation with Kaido, he proved to be one of the few individuals capable of using it to enhance his attacks. His third fight against the emperor also tore the sky apart.

Although not featured in the actual story, it is revealed in a flashback 10 years before the current timeline that Ace has the innate ability to use Royal Haki. He is seen unknowingly using it against Bluejam when the latter wants to kill Luffy. He says of Luffy at Marineford "you have it too" as his younger brother unknowingly uses it. In the A-novel, he consciously uses it against Hammond. It was revealed in One Piece Magazine that Ace can use Armament Haki. However, his level of proficiency with it is unknown. Ace developed Kenbunshoku Haki through his training with Thatch in the manga adaptation of a light novel.

Since both can use all three types of Haki, we wouldn't distinguish between them, so we chose to share the points in this category.

Points: Luffy 3, Ace 1

Weapons

Luffy rarely uses weapons in combat, mainly due to his inexperience and inability to use them. As a child, he wielded a metal pipe, which is probably the most sophisticated weapon he has successfully wielded. In Arlong Park, Luffy briefly attempted to fight with swords but failed miserably.

Ace carries a dagger, but is never seen using it. However, in flashbacks where he attempts to assassinate Whitebeard, Ace is shown to be capable of using multiple weapons, including an axe, a knife, and more. As a child, he was seen armed with a pipe, as seen in Luffy's flashbacks.

Although Portgas D. Ace doesn't rely as heavily on weapons as some other characters, he has the knowledge to triumph over Luffy in this category.

Points: Luffy 3, Ace 2

Monkey D. Luffy vs. Portgas D. Ace: Who Wins?

As the points confirm, Luffy is now stronger than Ace. Of course, initially, Portgas D. Ace was much more powerful than the inexperienced Luffy. However, Luffy has since had time to hone his skills, and even though Ace is dead and stopped growing, we still believe Luffy would have been able to defeat him at this point, even if Ace were alive. After defeating Kaidou, Luffy becomes a truly formidable fighter, which is also reflected in this analysis. And that's why Luffy is the winner.