Izo[5] is the commander of the 16th division of the Whitebeard Pirates. He is also the older brother of Kikunojo.[2] Before becoming a member of the Whitebeard Pirates, he was a former resident of Wano Country, and the heir of his father's dancing school, Hanayanagi School (花柳流,Hanayanagi-ryū?) in Ringo. Like Kiku, he was also associated with the Kozuki Family, namely Kozuki Oden, and was one of his retainers.
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.
When he was a child, he was seen dressing as a geisha, wearing a kimono with a diagonal spot design. He had the top of his head shaven, with his bangs parted and the back tied up and pinned. He was also seen holding Japanese fans and dancing.
Izo is very loyal to the Whitebeard Pirates and Whitebeard, as he was willing to risk his own life in order to save Ace from execution during the Battle of Marineford.
Prior to joining the Whitebeard Pirates, Izo was loyal and very close to Kozuki Oden after he found both him and his younger sibling Kikunojo on the streets of Ringo dirtied and hungry.
Abilities and Powers
As the commander of the 16th division, Izo has authority over the lower-ranking subordinates. Like the other commanders, he is very powerful.
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.
During his younger time in Wano Country, he is seen wielding a sword in order to assist Oden to fight against Ashura Doji.[2]
History
Past
Izo and his sibling, Kikunojo, were born in Wano Country.[3] During their childhood, they were raised in a dancing school but their family was torn apart after their father was arrested. Afterwards, they had to survive on the streets in Ringo. When Kozuki Oden arrived and gave them food, they joined him. After Oden became daimyo of Kuri, he became one of his retainers. At some point, Izo left Wano and joined the Whitebeard Pirates, becoming one of their Division Commanders.
Summit War Saga
Marineford Arc
When it was revealed that Portgas D. Ace was going to be publicly executed in Marineford, Izo joined the rest of Whitebeard's fleet and their subordinate crews to rescue Ace. Arriving at the Marines headquarters, they fought to save their captured comrade alongside some late additions to the war. He was the one to talk to Monkey D. 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 Squard, Izo is seen with the rest of the commanders looking on in shock and terror. After Squard realized that he had been tricked, the Marines raised the siege walls keeping the pirates from entering the plaza. Izo and the other pirates managed to board Whitebeard's hidden paddle ship. Little Oars Jr. helped the pirates by pushing their ship through the hole that the giant created.
Later on, he fought 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 subordinates, mourned for the outcome of the war and left the battlefield.
Post-War Arc
Izo and the rest of the crew attended the funeral of Whitebeard and Ace at an undisclosed location somewhere in the New World.