"The journey, and the people I met on the way, is what made the adventure great."

Every mishap, every new friend, every battle all added up to the great adventure. And until the end, that path was amazing. Ace has things he can feel regret about in his life, sure. There were choices that he made that he wishes he hadn't. But overall, his life was amazing, and the fact that someone so worthless could go so far and do so much is still incredible to think about for Ace. He really did have a fantastic life. And people loved him, despite who he was.

"I can always go for another!" Ace blinks at Shar's name, and then laughs. "Well I'm Portgas D. Ace, the already dead one. Good to meet you."