One Piece: Ace's Story, Vol. 1: Formation of the Spade Pirates

ONE PIECE novel A #1

by Shō Hinata (Writer), Eiichiro Oda (Original Concept), Stephen Paul (Translator)

Washed up on the shores of a deserted island at the edge of the East Blue Sea, two men from different backgrounds unite in their shared thirst for adventure. One of them, Portgaz D. Ace, will follow in his infamous father’s footsteps as the fearless captain of a pirate crew. The other, Masked Deuce, becomes the reluctant first member of Ace’s Spade Pirates. Survival is not enough for these seafaring buccaneers, as together they seek treasure, excitement, and a route to the New World.

Genres: Manga, Light Novel, Fantasy, Fiction, Pirates, Young Adult, Novels

144 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 5, 2020

Reviews

[灰 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute but I was BORED. I’d rather read a novel from Ace’s perspective on how he went from my favorite angry boy to a gentleman who can’t back down from a fight. Severely disappointed.

[Kuroo Dabi · Rating 5 out of 5]

"He was the sun. Everyone looked up to Ace. Even our enemies had a gruding respect for him. Ace was the center of everyone and everything. But because the sun was too bright, it was always alone. No one could get too close to him. If you stood too close, you were likely to burn up. " - Ace's Story.

Termine esta maravillosa novela y solo puedo decir que me encanto, tiene 129 páginas que se leen muy rápido. La historia de Ace es narrada por Deuce quien se convertirá en el primer miembro de la tripulación Spade Pirates. Aquí encontramos estos temas: Como Ace adquirió la fruta del diablo, de donde sale su pequeño barco llamada Striker; ese que usa cuando se encuentra a Luffy en Arabasta; también vemos el inicio de Ace como capitán y alguno de los miembros de su tripulación.
En cuanto a antagonistas pues está la Marina. Y todo esto hasta llegar a Sabaody para ir al nuevo mundo.
Tengo que decir que si antes amaba a Ace ahora necesito buscar un Phoenix Down para traerlo de vuelta y casarme con el si o si....porque es la persona más buena, hermosa y que si, que tiene preocupaciones y tristeza en su corazon pero eso no le impide proteger a sus Nakamas y ser bueno con todo aquel que se cruce en su camino siempre y cuando tengan buenas intenciones.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a lover of One Piece and a huge fan of Ace, I couldn't stop myself from getting my hands on a copy of this book! I received an ARC from NetGalley and am voluntarily reviewing it. I thought it was going to be a manga, so I was surprised to see that it was an actual novel! While I prefer Oda's actual work, I still enjoyed this book. I felt cheated that we never got to see Ace's full backstory in the actual One Piece series, but this book helps make up for that. Many new facts about Ace were brought to light and the members/founding of the Spade Pirates were introduced. Told from the perspective of one of his crew members, the book tells the tale of Ace's journey after first setting sail from his home. Ace remains his lovable, dorky self and I loved getting to see him as the main character for once. Also, the character sketches in the back were so cute and really added to the story. While this book was not quite as enjoyable as the actual One Piece series, it was still a short and sweet read about one of personal favorite characters! Any One Piece or Ace fans definitely need to pick up this book! I'm very excited for the next volume!

[❛ anju ༉‧₊˚★ · Rating 5 out of 5]

He was like the sun.
Everyone looked up to Ace. Even our enemies had a grudging respect for him. Ace was at the center of everyone and everything. But because the sun was too bright, it was always alone. No one could get too close to him. If you stood too close, you were likely to burn up.

“Don’t die out there, Ace. Thank you.”
He and Isuka were getting farther and farther apart. The ship wasn’t stopping. It couldn’t.
“Should I have grabbed her hand?” he muttered to himself, hanging his head. “But I couldn’t…I can’t hold her hand. Not when I’m a pirate, and anyway it turns into fire…”
He tugged his hat low over his eyes.
“Ace…pal…”
I couldn’t find any other words to say.
There were times, now and then, that Ace seemed to believe he couldn’t be loved. And when that mood struck him, a dark shadow passed over his face.
But I was sure that Isuka didn’t feel that way about him.
And it wasn’t just Isuka.
Ace simply couldn’t figure it out.

[Paige · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly, the writing of this is pretty mediocre, and I'm wondering if that's because of translation issues more than anything, but I do love Ace, so I'll take what I can get.

[Ehsan'Shokraie' · Rating 3 out of 5]

A brief backstory of ACE and his founding of the Spade pirates,i always wondered how he got his hands on his devil fruit,infact aquiring the logia type devil fruits is sth that has to be clearified in the next arcs,now with the series on hold there s not much to do but to wait for another 100 days:((

[fulcrum · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ll live my life until the end for him, then. A life with no regrets. I’ve gotta be the luckiest man in the world if that’s the feeling he inspires in me.

This novel is truly a gift for all Ace fans. It was fascinating to see him through the eyes of his close friend. I am infinitely glad that, despite everything, Ace was surrounded by people who loved and deeply respected him. The bond between Ace and Deuce, their shared moments—all these live in my mind rent-free.

Though the language is simple, Deuce’s reflections on his captain resonate like pure poetry. The relationship between captain and his first mate will forever hold a sacred place in my heart.

[Gozie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Im in love

[Ilaria Vigorito · Rating 3 out of 5]

Devo dire che ho cominciato questa novel con scetticismo, aspettandomi qualcosa di banale e comico in modo irritante. Invece è stata una piacevole lettura, ho apprezzato il POV di Masked Deuce che racconta il suo incontro con Ace e ho apprezzato le riflessioni su quest'ultimo e sulle sue motivazioni nel voler superare il nome di suo padre. Isuka mi è piaciuta molto ed è una di quelle novel di cui mi piacerebbe vedere un adattamento animato, tanto più che Ace mi manca molto, sigh.

[Lou Bubbles · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you love One Piece and especially Ace then this is a must read but other than that, nothing special. We don't really get any new info about Ace besides the really basic stuff. There is no expansion to his relationship with Roger or his rising fame. The antagonist is as flat as they come, her only personality being stubbornness and being loud. The dynamic of the crew was fun tho and the pace of the story was... manageable even tho very unbalanced.

[Abrie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love One piece, like actually absolutely love it!! If you wanna talk about it, just know I won’t be quiet about it. However, this book was not the best in my opinion. I was disappointed because I was expecting this story to be told in Ace’s perceptive not his companion.

[meghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ★s

I LOVE MY MANNNNNNN

[Natalie H · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ace’s story told by one of his crew members. Didn’t like Deuce in the beginning after he’s judgemental and puts his foot in it. But he grows on ya. Didn’t have the same appeal as it would in manga form but I enjoyed it. Favourite character was Skulls, that guy is great.

[Maisie :D · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is for the baddies who love Deuce and Ace’s dynamic.

I was genuinely surprised that this book was from Deuce’s point of view, but I am so glad it is as it feels like such a love letter from someone who adores Ace, and who sees him the way he is and not the man Ace thinks he is.

The book starts with Ace and Deuce’s first meeting on a deserted island as both get stranded there. Deuce immediately hates him with his happy spirit and how much loves his brother and manages to goad Ace very quickly into revealing that he is the son of Roger.

They separate for a few days and Deuce finds him again whilst he is starving and sees him with a strange looking fruit. The two converse and Deuce is surprised to learn that Ace is also starving, but he offered the fruit to him as he would rather Deuce eat instead. The hatred quickly turns into admiration, and they share it together, Ace getting the first bite and well...we know the rest.

After this, they stick together to get off the island and when they do Deuce has an inner monologue stating “I’ll live my life until the end for him, then. A life with no regrets. I’ve got to be the luckiest man in the world if that’s the feeling he inspires in me.” (Want it to be known that the interaction beforehand was: “So I guess the rumour that there was treasure on that island is a tall tale after all.” Ace looked over to me and grinned confidently. “I dunno about that,” he said, extending his hand towards me. “You’re coming with me...aren’t you?” I’ll forever cry about them.)

I feel like I was robbed of seeing them together in the anime (slowly getting through the manga, so maybe they have some moments together to make up for it.)

The next few chapters are different mini stories of the crew together and them facing up against the navy, mainly against Isuka. We have lots of moments where Ace shows his kindness and his crew speak about his kindness as they felt like they could be themselves around him, such as Skull and Mihar. Even Isuka is not immune to his kindness as he saves her life and she spends her time on Sabaody trying to convince him to abandon the pirate life and become a marine, as she no longer wants to chase him but be his ally.

The book is so lovely for Ace fans as they can read about how the world perceived him even though he was Roger's son. I really recommend it for anyone who wishes to see a different side to him and how he is the living embodiment of ‘the sun’ (direct quote from Deuce).

[Arber Halitaj · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deuce-All I knew of Roger came from the papers and books. I’d never met him or spoken with him. I just accepted whatever society and other people said about him, and assumed it was all true.
What a shallow, ugly way of thinking.
Since when had I become one of those nasty, cynical adults, always jumping to conclusions.

Ace didn’t judge people based on their race or their appearance. He judged them by something more important: their heart, their nature. He probably didn’t even realise he was doing it.

There were times, now and then, that Ace seemed to believe he couldn’t be loved.
Ace simply couldn’t figure it out.
He was like the sun.
Everyone looked up to Ace. Even our enemies had a grudging respect for him. Ace was the center of everyone and everything. But because the sun was too bright, it was always alone. No one could get too close to him. If you stood too close, you were likely to burn up.

When it comes to One Piece, I am always biased. Definitely 10/10 for me 😁.

[Hailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm glad I discovered that there are light novels based on Ace's backstory because he's one of my all time fave characters from One Piece!! I was also very curious on the Spade Pirates and how he made it to the top, and we didn't see much of that in the animation.

This novel was narrated by Deuce, one of Ace's close friend and his first crew-mate! It was a cute, touching story and I liked it a lot!! We learnt about how he became the fire-fist, how he makes it to the new world and his spade pirate crew. Loved the illustrations too <3.
I might even love Ace even more now aha. I'm excited to read volume 2!

"What quality makes one a captain? I think it's being loved by others. A captain is like the sun, shining bright to illuminate dark waters"

"He was like the sun"

These quotes describe him perfectly :')

[Kerliza Foon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book. I would have loved it more if the story was from Ace's point of view but alas it was not meant to be. While this book introduces some new characters in the One Piece world, it would have been great if this book was in manga form. Sorry readers, this book is a novel and a light one at that with only three chapters. The writing is simple and easy to follow, but leaves you wanting more. I wanted more chapters that cover the adventures leading up to each crew member like Luffy. It would be great if it was something like that, however this book goes on through time periods and not adventures. I give this book a 3.5 star rating because while this book is simple, it leaves a lot to be desired.

[Jessica]

sooo I'm not rating this one because the writing is likely aimed at children

.... not really a story I'd recommend.
There's not much plot- and what little there was was cheesy/annoying and predictable. I really hated how they wrote the Marine hunting him as some annoying and stupid girl.
Other then seeing Ace get his devil fruit (anticlimactic) and learning the names of the spade pirates (including the cutest lynx!) this doesn't add much to Ace's story.


I did like seeing him as a captain!
I loved how he was compared to the sun (because he is the sweetest boy who deserves the world!!!!)
Those few moments of him having self-doubt, wondering if he should even be alive, and if he is worthy of love (HE IS!!!) were nice additions :)

[Hannah Belyea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stuck on a deserted island, two young men share a desire to explore the sea: Deuce, taking on the tag his new friend Ace gave him, joins the newest carrier of the Flame-Flame fruit as they form their own crew, the Spade Pirates, and set out for the New World - with the Navy on their heels! Hinata brings fans new and old a short but entertaining glimpse into the journey of Fire Fist Ace; rough around the edge and a tad blatant, but a genuine treat for any One Piece addict. Witness the beginnings of a pirate legend!

[Amanda Asperheim]

I love ace sooo much. Also, some parts of this between ace and deuce seemed so unintentionally romantic:

"'so I guess the rumor that there was treasure on that island was just a tall tale after all.' Ace looked over to me and grinned confidently. 'I dunno about that,' he said, extending his hand toward me. '*You're* coming with me...aren't you?'"

"I'll live my life until the end for [Ace]."

"[Ace] was like the sun."

It's interesting to see the parallels between Sabo and Deuce. I wonder how intentional that was.

[Blake Barksdale · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ll be honest, this book was good but pretty rushed. It went from young, pre-powered Ace stranded on an island alone to escaping with Deuce and now fruited up to being asked to join the 7 warlords on Saobody Archipelago in just 130 pages. Two cool fight scenes and some much needed backstory of a very loved character from One Piece. The second and final book should have some more gusto given the fact that I know how it plays out from here a little more. I’m just glad we get more Ace.

[Dev · Rating 4 out of 5]

actual rating: 3.5

honestly i wouldn't recommend reading this unless you're just absolutely obsessed with ace but i am so here we are. the translation is kind of awkward and i don't know why we can't just have ace's story from his own POV but i'm absolutely desperate for content so i did enjoy it for what it is.

[Iria · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't really sure if I was gonna enjoy it after reading the first chapter, but it got considerably better! I really love Ace and I'm glad we have the opportunity to have this little peak at the beginning of his life as a pirate before he joined Whitebeard.

[Ashuna]

He was like the sun.
Everyone looked up to Ace. Even our enemies had a grudging respect for him. Ace was at the center of everyone and everything. But because the sun was too bright, it was always alone. No one could get too close to him. If you stood too close, you were likely to burn up.

[Plyy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Värikkäästi kirjoitettu tarina jo tiedetyistä asioista. Helppo kuvitella miltä näyttäisi sarjakuvassa. 😎 Kirjoitettu merirosvoryhmän jäsenen näkökulmasta, kirjassa oli osia mitkä tuntui turhilta joo ja oon väärä ihminen arvioimaan sarjan suurena fanina.

[Broheros · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

Volume 1 done! I was impressed by how well the author was able to convey the one piece ‘vibe’ completely without art, and am looking forward to volume 2!

But, like many light novels, it lacked any sort of depth in the writing, leading to it feeling a little stale after 50 pages. Thankfully I adore one piece, it’s characters and setting, otherwise I probably would have dropped this little more than mediocre light novel.

[samia · Rating 5 out of 5]

i love this book. best book ever. we love you ace.

[em · Rating 4 out of 5]

i wish the climax of the story was ace climaxing in me instead 😞

[Avaxbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this ages ago in science and only just remembered to log it 😔😔

[Tristan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ace my sweet boy 😭