@KiShiDo:
You don't get it… he went after BB and failed... He apologized and now went against Akainu and failed once again. That is what Ivotas was saying and it is completely true.
BTW You are speaking that Ace should stay the pawn he is and not change to higher levels like WB expect of him and just be there to save others
But we already had all this... I really want to see next week and what Oda planned
He went after BB and failed, but WB could have simply forbade him as Shanks suggested and kept Ace safe. After Ace lost, he would have been fine with accepting the death promised to him. He never asked for Whitebeard or Luffy to come. He didn't want it.
He didn't go after Akainu, Akainu went after the D-Bros and targeted one of Ace's glaring emotional weaknesses. Then he targeted another: Luffy.
I never once suggested that Ace should stay a pawn forever. In fact, this chapter he made a decision that saved Luffy's life. I'd love to see him make the decision to value himself and his own desires but right now, he's not able to do that. He shouldn't suddenly develop the resolution to all his emotional and psychological issues, break out the world's most awesome haki-whatever-attack and escape.
@Ivotas:
I'm not criticizing that Ace sacrificed himself for Luffy. What I'm criticizing is that Ace was dumb enough for letting the situation get that far. Luffy just stopped running because Ace himself did so, which was a result of the latter being easily provoked by Akainu. And that part is where the lack of character growth comes into play.
Ace made a mistake. It's a mistake Luffy's made both in the past (regarding Shanks) and fairly recently (Blackbeard in Impel Down), in both those situations, Luffy had outside help in order to get him out of hell but Akainu was closer to the brothers than anything else then, there was nothing to hold Ace back.
As for a lack of character growth, I don't think that's true. He's not solved every personal problem, but since BB and Impel Down, he's made some realisations that have developed his character. If he survives, he'll have time to work on this Marty McFly issue he's having. That doesn't make him a bad character.