Re-read Marineford and unlikely my initial read years ago, I purposely equipped my thought processor to filter out for the emotional moments & sacrifices to analyze as I didn't care much for the fights and power-scaling.

WB and Ace's relationship was much deeper than I thought.

Ace was love-starved for a fatherly presence and undivided attention from a male figure and Whitebeard longed for a personal bond with someone than was more authentic than his bond with the rest of his makeshift family.

Even though Whitebeard has hundreds of sons,

most were mature and emotional developed and didn't need whitebeard's assistance beyond his physical protection and illuminating image of dominance.

Ace was different and Whitebeard knew it.

Ace was struggling emotional and had a lot to let out and for him to let those feelings

out of the bag is to face a great deal of anger, rejection, and sadness. I mean, what can a young man do with the array of untapped emotions that shields him from knowing himself?

Ace could no longer pretend away old, unresolved wounds because the pain will eventually resurface

in other areas of his life.

Whitebeard in turn offered him something that no other person has ever offered him and that's a chance to start over, not as a pirate, but as the SON.

Whitebeard's body and health betrayed him in that war which caused his unfortunate doom but all the way throughout, his heart was in sync with his parental instinct to protect his son.

Our true love for someone is on a trial when societal morals and their safety is up against

up against each other. We tend to have a lower moral threshold to protect those that we value. Whitebeard was no different.

In his former glory days, the marines was a bothersome group Who's relentlessness was a dangerous threat to his family. However, for Ace, WB took them on!

My respect for Ace and Whitebeard was up after that reread.