Every One Piece fan would agree that one of the saddest moments of the series was when Ace was murdered by Akainu during the horrific battle at Marineford. Despite Luffy's best efforts, his greatest sacrifices, and his attempt to save him, in the end, Fire Fist Ace lost his life to protect his brother.
This was a heartbreaking scene for One Piece fans, made even more painful when Ace said goodbye as he thanked everyone for loving him.
This moment is followed by Luffy's heartbreaking cry. Needless to say, this is an emotionally intense scene that brings tears to the eyes every time you watch it. While it was an emotionally challenging moment for viewers, the cast and crew of the anime had a similar struggle.
In the interview, Ace's voice actor, Furukawa, shared that the director of the episode instructed him to stay calm when Ace said his final words. But he let his emotions flow and cried as he ended his speech with a heartbreaking “thank you.”
The scene that followed showed Luffy screaming in pain as Ace lay unconscious in front of him. Tanaka did an exceptional job portraying Luffy's pain, to the point that her cries brought tears to everyone in the studio.
This small revelation makes this already iconic scene all the more moving.
Ace's death was not only one of the saddest moments in One Piece, but also one of the most shocking. Before this, the story rarely killed off such an important character.
This incident essentially changed Luffy forever, giving him much-needed character development. Even after 13 years and over 500 episodes, this moment and the voice actors' performance remains one of the most memorable parts of the One Piece anime.