While he’s been imprisoned for the past couple of decades of his life, Emporio Ivankov isn’t one to be kept down. The Queen of Newkama Land is one of the most outrageous characters in the world of One Piece, and makes sure that everyone knows it. Who is Queen Emporio Ivankov, and how in the world did he get to be such a wild, loud person?
This article contains spoilers for One Piece through chapter 1098, so catch up on Viz or MangaPlus before continuing on!
Who is Emporio Ivankov
Yeeeeee-haw! Emporio Ivankov, the number one Queen of Newkama Land, is both a Revolutionary founder and Freedom Fighter from the years of Gold Roger. While he was just a young child, Iva was taken as a slave by the Celestial Dragons, but he was deemed a problematic one. While he eventually finds help in escaping with Bartholomew Kuma, Iva doesn’t stick around long once they get to the Sorbet Kingdom.
Instead, Iva finds his own Kingdom of Newkama Land, and joins up with Monkey D Dragon as a Freedom Fighter. While they won’t become the Revolutionaries until Kuma joins, Iva and Dragon fight their way through the world, freeing anyone they can in the process. At some point, Iva is captured, but in doing so becomes the demon of Impel Down, creating a New Newkama Queendom in the prison’s forgotten walls.
Celestial Dragon Slave
Recent chapters have given much more insight into Iva’s life than any before, and we’re finding out a lot about his history. Iva was a Celestial Dragon slave, who managed to get out from God Valley at the age of fifteen thanks to Bartholomew Kuma’s rescue efforts. It’s still unknown if he was a slave from birth or one of the many captures through the years, as Celestial Dragons will take anyone they want as at the slightest whim.
God Valley
Iva is one of the many slaves present for the God Valley Incident. Although he didn’t stay for the entire thing. He, Kuma, and Ginny were three of the problem slaves dumped on the island. Just a few of the humans for hunting along with the local population. While Kuma doesn’t know either of them, Iva finds out that somehow, he has Buccaneer blood and is incredibly strong. Somehow, Iva also knows about the Devil Fruits being kept as prizes for the Celestial Dragons of the event.
Iva plans on how to steal the Devil Fruits and escape, while Ginny was busy sending messages about God Valley. It works, drawing in everyone from the Rocks Pirates to Roger Pirates. Even leading to a strange pairing of Garp and Roger taking down Xebec himself. Iva’s group flees the island before the big showdown. Though he loses the Fish-Fish Fruit, Mythical Model: Azure Dragon to Big Mom in the process. They find themselves free though, and use the power of the Paw-Paw Fruit eaten by Kuma to reach Sorbet Kingdom.
Revolutionary Founder
After they land in the Sorbet Kingdom, Iva decides to take off in search of fortune. He doesn’t have his Horm-Horm Fruit just yet, but it’s only a matter of time. Before long, Kuma and Ginny are hearing stories of him in the newspaper. Even more seeing he teamed up with Monkey D Dragon, a former Marine. This forms the Freedom Fighters, a prelude to the Revolutionary Army. A lot of the time spent in the Freedom Fighters is still shadowy. Not surprising since it was just introduced in the last couple of chapters.
After they free multiple kingdoms and grow their following, Ivankov and Dragon return to the Sorbet Kingdom just in time. Things are going bad for the locals, and the king is gladly committing genocide in exchange for wealth. Kuma and Ginny are barely saved from execution. Instead they’re locked away in a dungeon below the castle when Iva and Dragon bust in. Iva tells him that the time for change is here, and asks him to fight. He convinces Kuma to join against the Celestials alongside Dragon and himself.
Newkama Queen
The Kamabakka Queendom is Emporio Ivankov’s country, which he keeps in order as a paradise for those seeking freedom. Iva often uses his Horm-Horm Fruit to change the sex of those he comes into contact with. This is his way of allowing them to live how they truly want. It’s a different kind of liberation, with a more personal note to it than just freeing an entire country. Thus, Iva found Newkama Land, where everyone can be who they really want to be.
Kamabakka Queendom later becomes the home base of the Revolutionaries after they’re found by Blackbeard. They move here, using the strategic location in Paradise, the first half of the Grand Line, to carry out operations. Ivankov is a beloved figure across the land though, and helps to train Sanji when he lands there before the time-skip.
New Newkama Land
Whenever Iva gets caught by the World Government, he’s interned in Impel Down. While he was originally likely in the deepest level, the Eternal Hell, he somehow manages to escape. Though of course, escaping the actual prison itself is a whole other problem. A problem which leads Iva to found the New Newkama Queendom. Settled right in between the fifth and sixth levels of Frozen Hell and Eternal Hell. Between two hells, this safe haven is begun by Iva
Over the years he developed a reputation as the “Demon of Impel Down”. While the legend says he takes prisoners randomly to eat, he’s actually just freeing people. There doesn’t seem to be any particular method for who he takes on, but Iva has always been more of the discerning type and can read people pretty well.
Saving Luffy’s Life
During Luffy’s jailbreak on Impel Down, he goes through absolute hell, taking beatings from Magellan and the Jailers. It’s Magellan’s extreme Poison-Poison Fruit powers that almost bring Luffy down, taking him right to the edge of death. Instead, Iva shows up at the last minute thanks to help from Bon Clay, and manages to use one of his Horm-Horm Fruit powers to get Luffy through it. Painfully, but through it nonetheless.
That isn’t the end of Iva’s part with the Straw Hat Boy though, as he joins in the breakout. They make a break, with Iva using his signature Galaxy WInk to send them flying to freedom. It’s definitely obvious from just his power in Impel Down why he’s part of the Revolutionaries. Iva shows off even more in the Marineford War.
Marineford
The Impel Down prisoners probably wouldn’t have made it to Marineford without Iva. The combined abilities between he and Jimbei manage to get them on a ship and away from the trouble, but Iva helps when they’re frozen in ice. The Galaxy Wink he uses launches them straight into the battlefield, raining down misfit pirates and freedom fighters from the skies above. It’s one of the most comically cool moments in the series, seeing the entire group there to rescue Ace falling out of the blue.
Even Luffy’s survival on the Marineford Battlefield hinges on the help of Iva and the others. While they all band together and come to his defense at different moments, the Newkama Queen keeps Luffy going with his Devil Fruit. The Horm-Horm Fruit is able to give Luffy an adrenaline injection like no other, helping him power through to reach Ace.
Returning to the Revolutionaries
After the battle, Iva returns to the Revolutionary Army at Baltigo, though they don’t remain there for too long. He ends up helping to train Nico Robin for a short time while she’s with them, but also takes off back to Newkama Land every so often to check in on things. After Jesus Burgess finds Baltigo by stowing away in the Revolutionaries’ ship, the Blackbeard Pirates destroy the Revolutionary base, sending everyone fleeing after the vicious surprise attack.
They end up back in Newkama Land alongside Iva, who hosts them to this day. His Queendom now acts as their prime base of operations, with most planning and missions carried out from here. This is also where Sabo ends up taking the survivors of Lulusia Kingdom after the raid on the Reverie, as Iva will give shelter to any fleeing destruction or oppression.
Emporio Ivankov still has a huge part to play in the story, and we’ll probably get more background on him in the final saga. As the manga is currently exploring the character of Bartholomew Kuma, things won’t go to Iva immediately, but the two do cross over quite a bit. Iva still has a lot more to do though, and the final battle with the World Government is just around the corner for the Revolutionary Army!
