Does ACE really die in one piece?
Ace was freed, but he sacrificed his life to protect Luffy from Marine admiral Akainu. Ace’s death ultimately proved to be the catalyst leading to Luffy training for two years to become strong enough to protect his friends, paving the way for the second half of the series.
Why did Ace die for Luffy?
Ace dying means that Luffy has to get stronger and train harder for at least 2 years in order to compete with others since he finally understood how dangerous his world he lives in is especially since he’s headed to the New World where it will not go easy on him. As for Whitebeard, his era is over.