Why Portgas D. Ace Had To Die

This is a question that should've been asked a while ago, but since I closed out my blog on a whim and figured the above question is still relevant today, it's never too late. Let's get into then. 

One of the saddest moment in the history of manga was unequivocally the death of Portgas D. Ace. I haven't shed a tear ever since I read One Piece, Volume 59, Chapter 574  (and watching that part in the anime :-p). Well, I have been going through and through to understand why sensei [Eiichiro Oda] decided to kill off the character who stole the show ever since he first appeared during the Alabasta arc. And now that we've all witnessed with great pleasure Sabo's return, and seen how powerful the pirates sailing in the New World are, I came down to two major reasons why Ace had to die:

I - Ace Was in Line to Become the Next King of Pirates

Let's leave the emotions out of this and let's look at this logically and objectively. For Luffy to become the King of Pirates—as we are all hoping he will be—he couldn't possibly get to One Piece while Ace was also in the chase. Of course Ace's goal was to make the late Yonko Whitebeard the King of Pirates. But what Ace hadn't suspected was that Whitebeard wanted to make him the successor as former Fleet Admiral Sengoku pointed out.

Ace was stronger than Luffy (and honestly I think he is at Ace's War of the Summit level right now or right below). Needless to remember Ace awoke his Haoshoku Haki since he was a 10 year old brat. Armed with sublime power and the knowledge of the New World, he could have easily beaten Luffy and the Straw Hats with the aide of Marco and the remaining former Whitebeard Captains. 

In the world of One Piece, to be among the strongest, you need more ingredients in you than just "strength". Strength here encompasses  physical prowess and knowledge. One also needs: an inspiration, a dream/goal, and a true drive/motivation. I will be touching on the latter during the second part below.

Sabo x Luffy x Ace

Ace's inspiration was to lookout after his young brother Luffy. Since Sabo was supposedly dead, Luffy was the only one left he cared for. His dream by time he died was to make Whitebeard the king of pirates. His true drive was to find out if his birth really mattered. He had a rough childhood due to the constant insults and curses people directed to his biological father. This true drive pushed him to rush at pinnacle of piracy in a relatively short amount of time. Furthermore, in order for him to "matter", he had to show the world his strength. Ace's strength was nothing to sneeze at. My only regret is we didn't get to witness more of it. In the end, he realized that what most mattered to him was an answer to his quest. And he got that answer.

One Last Smile Like a Real D. Before Leaving

II - Luffy Needed a True Drive

Shanks' influence on Luffy was not enough for him to just become the next King. All the other rookies and current pirates sailing in the New World have strength, inspiration, and dream which might outweight Luffy's and the Strawhats'. Ace's death became the true drive which made Luffy stronger in this new world. Remember that the last half of Grand Line is full of crazily strong pirates and warriors, and counts many people with the King's Disposition, a.k.a the Haoshoku Haki, a.k.a the Conqueror's Haki.

Let us see where Luffy's ingredients are now at.  His inspiration was always the same, Shanks. He promised Shanks to one day gather his own crew and surpass him. His dream is to become the next King of Pirates, we all know that. Finally, Luffy has [finally and completely] acquired his true drive: In order to protect those he loves, he has to become even stronger. Back in Shabondy Archipelago arc, he started to get a glimpse at this true drive. Now that I recall, I had tears down my throat when I saw Luffy losing reason and going apesh*t  and cursing his own power for not being able to save his crew. This very same scene came up again when he woke up after the war had ended. True despair. As some say failure can be the greatest motivation ever. Luffy first failed to save his crew against Kizaru and failed again in the worst manner possible by losing his brother n his arms. The pain from these two events ultimately became Luffy's true drive that will propel him at the summit of this new age.

R.I.P Ace