@RobbyBevard:
The way the AUTHOR works, in terms of theme, style, and story points, is in fact, very important when trying to make any guess about the future of the series.
Plot twists and the introduction of new characters you can't predict anything on.
But how he handles characters and the overall narrative (foreshadowing, progression of story, death, dreams, etc) those are constants that are a part of his style for 16 years and 71 volumes now, and those aren't going to suddenly change without a VERY strong story related reason that makes a major impact.
Ace's death affected Luffy and made him train to be stronger.
Whitebeard's death redefined the era, shaking the entire new world, allowing Blackbeard to take power, and changing who was in charge of the marines.
Monet's death…? goes unremarked on by anyone, including Ceaser and Doflamingo, while she continues to be shown and brought up in flashbackbacks to remind us she exists?
She's exactly as dead as Igaram and Pell were... long enough to effect the current emotional situation, but fine and dandy at the end of the arc.
While it seems true that oda let everyone survive "heaven", i actually see a difference in his still since marineford, when it comes to killing people.
If she is exactly as dead as Igaram and Pell, then she wont have a major fight in this arc (which is actually what I argued against in the first place). I would be ok, if she and vergo appeared at the end of the arc or in a cover story or something like that. Her appaering in this arc, maybe even fighting again against the strawhats would just be lame. I mean we have so many characters (doflas crew, the revolutionaries, big mom, laws crew, many fighters from the colloseum) who hadnt a real fight in this arc, that i just hope she is dead and doesnt appaer again.
Still I think she is dead. I just dont see why Oda put so much emphasis of her relationship with dofla BEFORE her "death", he could have done that easily with flashbacks in dressrosa if she just appears somewhere in this arc, but then nobody would have realized that she a loyal member of dofla when she actually died (assumed it was her death).