Oda really turning up his sadism to 11!
The implications of this being the case are absolutely horrifying and I FEAR this is the reason Oda has been so tight lipped on what happened with Tashigi and Smoker going to Vegapunk, I mean why couldnt it have been a wholesome cover story if its not going to be relevant for YEARS unless theres some kind of deliberate, to be saved for later narrative importance for not showing it yet and thus....something truly awful, unexpected and tragic happened with it?
This would be like a death sentence for Tashigi as a character too, as if Punk Hazard wasn't bad enough for her! Sigh....