Toshio Furukawa, Portgas D. Ace’s voice actor, recalled the day of Ace’s death in a series of viral X posts on November 6, 2023. “Ace’s death… The morning of the recording, I didn’t want to go to the studio…” Furukawa admitted. It was only after hearing Luffy’s voice actor, Mayumi Tanaka, that he could accept the death of the character he’d been voicing for over 9 years:
“Luffy breaking down over Ace’s death…I have never seen a crying performance better than that one… Just seeing that crying performance, the tears from a Hall of Famer [Mayumi Tanaka (Luffy)], made me accept Ace’s death.“
Toshio Furukawa debuted as Ace in Episode 91 of the One Piece anime – “Farewell, Drum Island! I’m Going Out to Sea!” in Luffy’s flashback. Ace died in Episode 483 during the climax of the Marineford Arc. Furukawa posted some pictures of the script from the episode that can be viewed below, as well as his stunning Ace figure collection. Most recently, Furukawa reprised his role as Ace in the Wano arc of One Piece, appearing in Yamato’s flashback where he inadvertently reveals Luffy’s dream. One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda clarified every pirate who knows Luffy’s dream in a recent Q&A from Volume 107.
Crunchyroll streams the One Piece anime and describes the Wano arc as:
Wano Country is under the control of Kurozumi Orochi, Kaido of the Yonko, and his crew the Beasts Pirates. The Straw Hats form an alliance with the Heart Pirates, the Mink Tribe, and the Kozuki Family to liberate the Land of Wano, but when an old foe reappears their mission is made much more difficult.
Luffy, after facing defeat at the hands of Kaido, is locked in Udon Prison where a surprising member of the Worst Generation is also being kept! Meanwhile, Robin gets an opportunity to go undercover and spy on Wano’s Shogun Orochi as the rest of the Straw Hats and their allies begin working toward the coup they plan to stage on the night of the Fire Festival.
Luffy’s journey takes him and his group to the ruins of Oden Castle where Kin’emon tells them about the past and his plans to battle at Onigashima. The Straw Hats search for allies in Wano Country, but Kaido isn’t going to let them operate freely under his watchful gaze.
Source: Toshio Furukawa X
©Eiichiro Oda, Shueisha, Fuji Television, Toei Animation