It´s the only time to actually judge. This whole sage has to be regarded as one, since WCI was left open ended, with the continuation in Wa No. So everything starting with Fishman Island and Punk Hazard concludes in this arc, so you have to judge once this saga ends.
And what was Oda´s main reason for not killing off prominent characters on Luffy´s side?
"Basically I don't kill any characters because I wish the readers to feel satisfied after an arc ended."
And the reason why WB and Ace could be the exception to this is because the audience was not supposed to be satisfied, it was the turning point for Luffy.
So you can only judge whether Oda actually has moved away from that rule when this sage is over.
Btw, i am no Pedro fan or anything, i have no investment to be honest in his death or survival.