Why did Ace come to Wano to defeat Kaido in One Piece?

One Piece manga fans have been waiting for this episode since the arc began in the anime. The return of Ace and Yamato! Episode 1013 gives us a cameo of Ace in Yamato’s flashback, which is based on chapters 998 and 999 from the manga.

The flashback episode is really nostalgic – we see Ace and Yamato sitting together as the sun sets, bonding over their daddy issues.

But seeing Ace with Yamato caused fans to ask what Ace was doing in Wano in the first place. Did he come to defeat Kaido? If so, why?

Ace came to Wano to rescue the children abducted by Kaido and the Beasts Pirates. He also wanted to challenge and defeat Kaido, one of the 4 Emperors of the Sea.

Was Ace already a Whitebeard Pirate when he came to Wano?

Ace arrives in Onigashima with the Spade Pirates. This means that Ace dared to attack Kaido, a Yonko, even before he met Whitebeard.  

Why did Ace want to Defeat Kaido?

Being a Yonko means you are one of the 4 strongest pirates in the world. But it’s not that Ace underestimated Kaido – or even overestimated himself. Ace’s mission in those days was to bring down all the 4 Emperors.

On Fish-man Island, Ace ends up in a cheap café where he talks to Aladine, a Ryugu Kingdom soldier, about Jinbe and Whitebeard trying to protect the Ryugu Kingdom from uprisings and rebels.

Ace sets the Whitebears Pirates’ flag on fire, and states his intention to defeat all the leaders of the New World – the 4 Emperors of the Sea.

He leaves Fish-man Island for the New World, and first hunts down Shanks. But, of course, Shanks reveals his connection to Luffy, who is Ace’s brother. Ace tells Shanks about his intention of defeating the current figures of power, and asks Shanks about the scars that Blackbeard gave him.

Ace then travels to Wano to defeat Kaido, since he is a Yonko. But Kaido and his top commanders are away on an expedition, so he ends up battling Yamato, Kaido’s daughter.

Ace and his crew free the imprisoned girls. An unprecedented rescue is also that of Yamato.

How does Ace Save Yamato?

Yamato attacks Ace out of boredom. She is not averse to him saving the children, and also asks the Spade Pirates to return them to their families, and informs them that Kaido is away on an expedition.

Ace tells his men to take the children back to Wano mainland, and he himself stays to tackle Yamato.

At first, Yamato fights him with all she’s got. Ace asks her why she isn’t on sea if she’s so strong and that makes her think of how Kaido trapped her on the island telling her that there was no reason she should leave. Ace also asks her why she’s let Kaido’s explosive handcuffs shackle her heart too.

She smashes Kaido’s dragon statute, and Ace unleashes his Devil Fruit powers using his Fire Fist to scorch the broken pieces. He tells her that she is welcome to blame the destruction on him.

Yamato finally admits her dislike and disdain for her father, and tells Ace that she knows what to do now.

Ace not only reminds Yamato of her past, but also assures her that her future doesn’t have to be reliant on it.

Giving his own example, he says that even though he is Gol D. Roger, the Pirate King’s son, he doesn’t let that identity dictate who he is.

Ace saves Yamato by making her realize that it is only her body that is shackled to Wano, not her heart. Even though she physically cannot leave the island because of Kaido’s handcuffs, she will find a way to leave the first chance she gets.

Kaido vs. Ace: Who would win?

If Kaido had been present in Onigashima when Ace and the Spade Pirates arrived, Ace would definitely have lost.

This is baby Ace we are talking about – he had just set out on his journey into the New World with his lofty ambitions of overthrowing the Yonkos.

He wasn’t even part of Whitebeard’s crew then, and Kaido was, well, already Kaido. I don’t think Ace knew what he was taking on when he said he wanted to defeat a Yonko.

It’s a different thing that Ace would never back down or run away from a fight, but Kaido would literally destroy him.

Ace was even foolhardy enough to challenge Whitebeard on numerous occasions. But that’s just Ace.

Kaido would probably crush Ace but instead of killing him, would get him imprisoned, and ask him to join his crew, just like Whitebeard did.

About One Piece

One Piece is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. It has been serialized in Shueisha’s Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine since July 22, 1997.

The man who had acquired everything in this world, the Pirate King, is Gol D. Roger. The final words he said at the execution tower were “My treasures? If you want it, I’ll let you have it. Look for it; I left all of it at that place.” These words sent many to the seas, chasing their dreams, headed toward the Grand Line, in search of One Piece. Thus began a new age!

Seeking to be the greatest pirate in the world, young Monkey D. Luffy also heads toward the Grand Line in search of One Piece. His diverse crew is joining him along the way, consisting of a swordsman, marksman, navigator, cook, doctor, archaeologist, and cyborg-shipwright, this will be one memorable adventure.