Masked Deuce tells Ace that he was a medical student with bad grades, and his parents were indifferent to him; he wants to go out to sea just so he can enjoy an adventure.
Ace was born after the death of his father, and after evading the Navy and the Cipher Pol for months, he was finally born.
His greed for power ignited his desire to have someone like Ace on his crew.
However, Ace sent a tree rolling at Luffy, and when Luffy continued chasing him, Ace hit him and sent him plummeting into a chasm.
One time, four years before the current timeline, Ace went to Amigasa Village at and befriended the villagers after letting them acquire his food and water.
After throwing the Marines off his trail, Ace caught up with Luffy on the to offer him a chance to join Whitebeard, which Luffy refused.