That hypes Garling even more.
It IS weird, I've been thinking this since the full summary.
I think it's pretty clear that Xebec is dead, even Rayleigh answers to Roger saying "Xebec is dead". The black panel is just to make it dramatic imo. What's strange is that would mean that Ray & Gaban found Roger & Garp (few meters beside Xebec's body) and took them, but why would the HKs let them do as they please?
I think this hints at another confrontation that happened right after Xebec's death, maybe that's when Gaban & Sommers fought and will be revealed in a small flashback of Sommers or Gaban later in Elbaf (?).