Izou

Izo is the commander of the 16th division of the Whitebeard Pirates.

Appearance
Izo is a cross-dressing man who wears a pink and purple kimono. He has a pale complexion and hair tied in a way resembling that of a geisha. He also carries another Japanese-looking, light-red spotted indument tied around his waist.

Abilities and Powers
As the commander of the 16th division, Izo has authority over the lower-ranking subordinates. Like the other commanders, he is extraordinarily powerful.

Another testament to his power, is that he later emerged unharmed after the war.

Weapons
He is seen wielding a pair of flintlock pistols and is apparently very adept with them, especially in close quarters combat: with a single shot, he was able to break a sword in half as well as injure its owner by shooting it just moments before it slashed him.

By the end of the war, he was also seen carrying a sheathed sword, which may indicate that he is a swordsman as well.

Marineford Arc
When it was revealed that Ace was going to be publicly executed in Marineford, Izo joined the rest of Whitebeard's fleet and their allies to rescue Ace. Arriving in the Marine headquarters, they fought to save their captured comrade alongside some late additions to the war. He was the one to talk to Luffy, asking him if he was tired, when he and several other division commanders were charging Kizaru. He stated that it was the right time to move on since the Marines were pulling back. After Whitebeard was stabbed by Squardo, Izo is seen with the rest of the commanders looking on in shock and terror. After Squardo realized that he had been tricked, the Marines raised the siege walls keeping the pirates from entering the bay. Izo and the other pirates managed to board Whitebeard's hidden paddle ship. Oars Jr. helped the pirates by pushing their ship through the hole that the giant created.

Later on, he is seen fighting alongside his subordinates against the Marines gathered in the Plaza. After Luffy freed Ace from the scaffold, the pirates rejoiced. Whitebeard then gave his final order and the pirates reluctantly followed. Just when the pirates were about to leave with Ace, Admiral Akainu called Whitebeard a failure. Ace quickly turned back and Izo tried persuading Ace to forget about Akainu but was unsuccessful. Akainu took Ace's life and then aimed to kill Luffy. Izo and the other division commanders fought against the Admiral to ensure that Luffy sees the New Era. Upon the arrival of Shanks and Sengoku calling the war to a close, Izo, like the rest of the Whitebeard Pirates and their allies, mourned for the outcome of the war and left the battlefield.

Post-War Arc
He, along with the rest of the crew attended the funeral of Whitebeard and Ace at an undisclosed location somewhere in the Grand Line.

Major Battles

 * Whitebeard Pirates and their allies vs. the Marines and Shichibukai
 * Izo vs. Marine Officers
 * Whitebeard Pirates Commanders (minus Ace, Jozu and Thatch), Crocodile and Andre vs. Admiral Akainu

Trivia

 * Izo's name could be a reference to samurai Okada Izō. This however, remains unconfirmed by Oda.

External References

 * Transvestism - Wikipedia article about Transvestism in general
 * Onnagata
 * Geisha - Wikipedia article abouts Geishas in general
 * Kimono - Wikipedia article about the type of dress Izo wears