- They tell Oda that in chapter 962 we see Izou with a katana and Kiku with a pistol, but in the present they dominate just the opposite. The reader wonders if there is any hidden meaning in this.
Oda says that Kiku was simply holding Izou's pistol and is surprised that the reader realized that detail. Their father was a criminal, they lived in poverty and had to entertain adults while being cruel to them. One of the skills Izou entertained people with was shooting, he was very good and never failed. However, he was not comfortable with katanas.
When he was on Shirohige's boat, one day when he was shooting for entertainment, Vista told him "Protect others with whatever you are good at !!" Izou wondered "Why should a samurai, whose goal is to protect his lord, wear katanas if he is not good with them? A samurai is reflected in the way you live." From that day on Izou gave up katanas and used pistols.