I think Whitebeard might die.
Hmm, lemme rephrase that…
I think Whitebeard might die.
Before Oda could bring himself to get rid of Merry (a freakin' ship, mind you.) he had to build up the emotional impact- not merely of what a tragic loss this was to the crew, but also what each of them gained from their experiences with the ship. Then it was given a viking funeral, only when the ship accepted its death. Yes, you read correctly, the ship accepted its death.
For Whitebeard to die, Oda is going to have to devote several chapters to flashbacking Newgate's life. He will have to ensure that every reader out there knows that the world of One Piece isn't just losing the linchpin securing it from chaos; it's losing a great man, one whose like may never be seen again. Hell, Oda will have to make the guy seem more likeable than Luffy. Can he pull it off? I think he can, but it's going to need a lot of buildup, and it is going to have to be handled very carefully. Otherwise, it might flop, and then Oda will just decide to reveal that Newgate survived, sometime down the line.