User blog comment:12th Supernova/Plot Twist/@comment-4889755-20140609202151/@comment-5387880-20140609215019

Yes we were supposed to believe that he died because our protagonists though of him as dead, but Oda gave us a hint that he didn't(chap 589, pg 7) and the anime gave it to us in the plate so it wouldn't be a pullass in the future.