The first book is shown through the eyes of the Masked Deuce, whom Ace meets on the Island of Sixis in the East Blue. Working together to escape the island after Ace eats the Flame-Flame Fruit, the two start up the Spade Pirates and eventually travel through the Grand Line, running afoul of the determined Navy Ensign Isuka. It ends at the Saobondy Archipelago, where Ace refuses the offer to join the Seven Warlords of the Sea and defeats the Vice-Admiral Draw (Dorrow in English) in battle.
Book 2 has the Spade Pirates enter the New World after stopping on Fish-Man Island. There, Ace makes his determination to defeat Whitebeard clear. However, Ace is completely stymied by Whitebeard's sheer power, and forced to rethink his way of life.
In One Piece Magazine's tenth volume, the story was adapted to manga form illustrated by Boichi and storyboarded of Ryo Ishiyama.
These books have examples of
- Adaptational Nice Guy: In the main series, Ace’s incorporation of the Spades into the Whitebeard pirates is depicted as an act he forces onto them - particularly the scene where he burns their ship as his crews looks upon flabbergasted. Here, everyone capitulates well before Ace himself, and their ship is described as having been heavily damaged in the Jinbe fight.
- Breaking the Fellowship: After accepting the offer to join Whitebeard's crew, Ace disbands the Spade Pirates.
- Broken Pedestal: Vice-Admiral Dorrow becomes this to Isuka during Chapter 3 after showing off how bigoted and violent he really is. And also showing that he killed her parents and didn't just save her from pirates.
- Burning the Flag: Ace does this twice in Book 2. The first time is one Fish-man Island, where he burns Whitebeard's flag as a challenge to the Emperor of the Sea. The second time is when he disbands the Spade Pirates- this time, he draws the flames back into him to symbolize how he's still carrying his original sigil, even if he's no longer sailing under it.
- Cross Counter: How the duel between Ace and Dorrow ends. They trade a heavy uppercut to the jaw which hurts both of them. Only Ace is still conscious afterwards, which makes him the victor.
- Enemy Mine: Isuka actually cooperates with Ace at the end of the first book, so she can save the civilians from the danger Ace's opponent has caused.
- Hate Sink: Vice-Admiral Dorrow is this in Chapter 3. Though initially appearing to be a Nice Guy, after Ace turns down his offer to join the Shichibukai, Dorrow proceeds to attack Ace and Deuce, endangering some children who were caught up in the process, and then goes on to blame Ace for forcing him to fight and put the children in danger. This ultimately causes Isuka to see him for the villain he is, as she escorts the children to safety while Ace and Deuce fend him off. In essence, Dorrow is ultimately just a lower ranked Akainu.
- Inconsistent Dub: Some translations have Arc Villain Dorrow be called "Draw" instead.
- Mass "Oh, Crap!": The people of Fish-man Island freak out when Ace burns Whitebeard's flag.
- Mr. Exposition: In Book 2, Ace meets a fish-man who tells him the story behind Vander Decken and Whitebeard's protection of the island.
- Never My Fault: Dorrow blames the pirates for forcing him to fight, and potentially endanger innocent bystanders. It is heavily hinted that Isuka’s parents were victims of his reckless endangerment, of which he shows no remorse.
- Now You Tell Me: In Book 2, Ace goes to visit Shanks. After a stumbling, botch attempt at greeting the Emperor properly, they talk a bit, and soon Ace reveals that he's Luffy's older brother.Everyone gave [Ace] a look that said, Why didn't you tell us that first?!
- One-Steve Limit: Invoked. Originally, the Masked Deuce wanted to call himself Ace, but since that was Portgaz D. Ace's real name, he got saddled with Deuce by Ace himself. Later on, there are two Teaches, the first one being Mihar, nicknamed “Teach” by the Spade Pirates, and the latter being Marshall D. Teach himself.
- Origins Episode: The first chapter of Book 1 shows not only how Ace found and ate the Flame-Flame Fruit, but how he and Deuce made Striker, the craft Ace used in the main series.
- Sarcastic Confession: When talk turns to Shanks' three scars reportedly made by a Whitebeard Pirate, Marshal D. Teach claims to have done it, but no one believes him.
- Villain Decay: While nominally only an antagonist because of her position in the Navy, Isuka ceases to be seen as a threat by the time the Spade Pirates reach Sabaody. It doesn't help that she never was too antagonistic. In the eyes of Masked Deuce, Isuka is The Dreaded the first time she appears, but when the Spade Pirates reach Sabaody, he sees her as a nuisance his friends and he can escape from consistently.
