User blog comment:IamJakuhoRaikoben/Chapter 444: Emperor Spriggan, Review./@comment-26350059-20150714144528/@comment-26389992-20150715045431

I always look at filler as added material you couldn't fit in the manga, so with that and seeing how Gray kinda causally asks her about her swim suit (lol) I do think hiro meant it as they interacted before even though they technically never interacted in the manga