Honestly, I didn't give a damn about Ace. He was just another powerhouse prettyboy for the fangirls to ogle.
Whitebeard, on the other hand, was a true man. His death was way more impacting than Ace's.
"Whoever heard of a pirate who's not interested in treasure?! What the hell is it you want then? Well, Newgate?!"
"Ever since I was a kid... there's something I've always wanted to have..."
"Oh?! What is it, then? Let's hear it!"
"... A family."
Whitebeard was vaguely aware of the noise around him. Yelling. Screaming. Shouting. Crying.
"Don't cry, my sons..."
"OLD MAN...!!!"
He had his family. What he wanted all along. That was enough.
"ONE PIECE... IS OUT THERE!!!"
He was determined to clear the trail for his sons, for every pirate whose dreams drove them to find the treasure. Whitebeard would leave his mark on the world, even if it meant dying at the hands of a cowardly traitor like Blackbeard.
"Stop! Old man! I'm your son! You wouldn't ki-"
Whitebeard closed his remaining eye left, the entire left side of his head missing. It was a miracle he was able to think straight enough to slam down Blackbeard one more time.
"You... damned monster... you are not my son..."
His own family...
Whitebeard had taken the blows of Blackbeard's crew's attack, feeling each stab and shot and blow to his entire body. His entire body, all but his back, which bore the mark of his legacy.
He had died as a true pirate, without a single scar or wound on his pride.