Izou

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

Appearance
Izou is a cross-dressing man who wears a pink and purple kimono, and has a make-up 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, Izou has authority over the lower-ranking subordinates. He is seen wielding a pair of flintlock pistols and is apparently very adept with them, especially in close quarters combat: he was able to break a sword in half 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.

History
When it was revealed that Ace was going to be publicly executed in Marineford, Izou 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.[1]

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, Izou is seen with the rest of the commanders looking on in shock and terror.

Later on he is seen fighting alongside his subordinates against the Marines gathered in the Plaza. Izou tried persuading Ace to forget about Akainu when the Admiral insulted Whitebeard but was unsuccessful. After the end of the battle at the Marine HQ, he, like the rest of the Whitebeard Pirates and their allies, mourn for the outcome of the war.

Major Battle

 * Whitebeard Pirates and their allies vs. the Marines and the Shichibukai

Trivia

 * Izou'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
 * Geisha - Wikipedia article abouts Geishas in general
 * Kimono - Wikipedia article about the type of dress Izou wears