User blog comment:Videogamep/Why is Sabo Such a Big Deal?/@comment-3213092-20131212035803

Sabo is an example that we really can't say for sure what Oda is thinking. He actually made it obvious at the time Sabo died, with the dialogue that someone in the sea is really badly injured and he needs treatment. We didn't want to believe that he is Sabo. I too really didn't want to. I wanted Sabo to be dead, to live as an idea/goal later on, to Luffy and Ace.