Ushi Ushi no Mi, Model: Giraffe

The Ushi Ushi no Mi, Model: Giraffe is a Zoan-type Devil Fruit that allows its user to transform into a giraffe hybrid and a full giraffe at will, making the user a Giraffe Human (キリン人間). It was eaten by Kaku, who received it from Spandam. In One Piece episode A, an unknown New World pirate used this fruit, before he was defeated by Portgas D. Ace and finished off by Marshall D. Teach.

Etymology

 * Ushi (牛) is Japanese for "cattle, cow, bull, ox" while ushimoku (ウシ目) refers to the animal order comprising even-toed ungulates (Artiodactyla), which giraffes fall under.
 * While the kanji given read kirin (麒麟), the pronunciation remains as jirafu, based on the English pronunciation of the species' name. A qílín/kirin, on the other hand, is a mythical creature of Chinese and other East Asian mythologies that the image of the giraffe has been historically associated with.
 * In the Viz Manga, it is called the Ox-Ox Fruit Giraffe Model, and in the Funimation dub, it is called the Ox-Ox Fruit, Model: Giraffe.

Appearance


The Ushi Ushi no Mi, Model: Giraffe is a red fruit shaped like a bunch of bananas with various swirls on it and a light green stem holding the individual sections together. Its insides are yellow and also possess swirls.

Strengths and Weaknesses


The fruit's major strength, as demonstrated by Kaku, is that it gives its user more strength and longer reach in their Human-Beast Form. Initially, the powers of the fruit to turn into a giraffe and a half giraffe were mocked due to the known harmlessness of the animal itself as well as Kaku's rather blocky Human-Beast Form respectively. This mockery, however, was soon put aside when Kaku demonstrated how effective and deadly he was in his Human-Beast Form. This fruit grants the user the abilities of a giraffe, such as in increase in size, strength and durability, fast running speed, powerful legs and hooves, horn-like ossicones and notably a long powerful neck used to whip enemies with.

It has been noted by Zoro that the user of this fruit apparently has the unique weakness of having a long and very exposed neck which an attacker could exploit. This weakness however is not fully exploited due to Kaku's maneuvers, and is instead made into a strength in several of Kaku's moves. Other than that, the user is affected also by standard Devil Fruit weaknesses.

Awakening
Upon awakening, the user's Human-Beast form undergoes a physical transformation where their size increases, their body becomes more slim, their already long neck becomes longer, and dark flame forms a "mane" down the user's back, arms, neck, and chin, plus a stream of floating dark flame wraps around the user's shoulders.

Unique among Zoan Fruits, most notable animal-based ones, according to Shaka, this "awakening" should have taken control of the user's personality, but Kaku maintained his. Despite the increase in power, the user's fruit's maintains it unique weakness of having an long, exploitable neck.

Usage
The fruit's bestowed powers, as used by Kaku, have been used mostly for combat. Combined with his Rokushiki skills and Four Sword Style, Kaku can use the power of the Devil Fruit to become an even stronger foe in battle. Initially, due to having just eaten the Devil Fruit, Kaku had not mastered control of the fruit's powers and turned into a full giraffe when he fought with Zoro. He however quickly learned to use the new abilities to his advantage.



Kaku's fighting style in Human-Beast Form mostly relies on headbutts and nose strikes, which become more effective due to the blocky shape of his giraffe features combined with his usage of Shigan, Rankyaku and Tekkai. Kaku's unusual bodily proportions do not seem to hold him back at all and in fact can even be used as an unpredictable element to surprise foes.

Outside of battle, Kaku has also used the fruit's powers to help his fellow CP9 agent, Rob Lucci. After the incident in Enies Lobby, Lucci was severely wounded. To help in getting medical funds for Lucci's operation in St. Poplar, Kaku used his Beast Form to make a slide for kids to ride on whilst his other fellow CP9 agent, Fukurou, collected money from them.

In One Piece episode A, the previous fruit user made use of his height advantage and launched bite attacks at his opponents from above.

After achieving an Awakening without having his mind consumed by it, Kaku gains a third form that enhances his speed and power, and recovery rate further. Kaku's control over his long neck has also increased to the point that he can now completely control how it moves, becoming more serpentine-like and performing powerful zig-zagging cutting movements with it now, in addition to his normal fighting style.

Techniques

 * Henkei Jinjugata (変形人獣型): Kaku transforms into his Human-Beast Form. He first uses this technique in front of Jabra, Zoro and Usopp, but they all mocked him for his absurd appearance. In the Viz Manga, this is called Transform, Man-Beast Form, but it is unnamed in the Funimation dub.




 * Rankyaku "Amane Dachi" (嵐脚「周断」): In this attack, Kaku spins around quickly in a circle while standing on one hand, using his elongated neck to gain extra momentum and spin faster, and then performs Rankyaku with both legs to create a circle shaped Rankyaku which radiates outward. The attack was powerful enough to cut through the outer walls of the Tower of Justice in all directions. It can also be used to send an enormous mass of Rankyaku at the user's opponent, to inflict massive damage. Kaku says that this is his most powerful Rankyaku. This is called Tempest Kick Sky Slicer in the Viz Manga and the Funimation dub and Rankyaku: Amane Dachi in the English version of One Piece: Unlimited Adventure.




 * Rankyaku "Sen" (嵐脚「線」): Used in a stomping action. The air is blasted straight ahead in a line towards the opponent like a bullet, instead of in a curve as witnessed in the normal version. In the Viz Manga and the Funimation dub, this is called Tempest Kick Straight Line.


 * Bigan (鼻銃): In this attack, Kaku uses his nose instead of his finger to perform the attack. As his nose is much larger in diameter than a finger, the hole it creates is also much larger than that of a normal Shigan, as well as being completely square. In the Viz Manga and the Funimation dub, this is called Nose Pistol.




 * Kama Kirin (鎌麒麟): Kaku strikes an airborne enemy with his somewhat rectangular, and possibly hardened neck. He appears to use Soru to increase the speed of the attack. Possibly a pun with kamakiri (praying mantis). In the Viz Manga and Funimation dub, this is called Giraffe Scythe.
 * Tekkai "Mushikaku" (鉄塊「無死角」): Kaku bends his neck and legs to shift himself into a cube. When Tekkai is used in this form, he eliminates the weak points of his body, particularly his neck, and ensures that not a single spot is vulnerable to his following Kiri Shigure, though he looks ridiculous to his opponents. The pun is that "mashikaku", means "perfect square", and again is a play on Kaku's name. In the Viz Manga and Funimation dub, this is called Iron Body Edgewise.




 * Rankyaku "Kiri Shigure" (嵐脚「麒麟時雨」): After turning himself into a cube with Tekkai "Mushikaku", Kaku uses Rankyaku towards the ceiling with all four of his limbs. There, the vast mass of small Rankyaku blades bounce back, falling like rain on the enemy, making the attack difficult to block, to inflict continuous damage. The "Kiri" part of the name can also mean "mist". In the Viz Manga and Funimation dub, this is called Tempest Kick Giraffe Shower.


 * Rankyaku "Rodan" (嵐脚「龍断」): Kaku uses an upward Rankyaku with both of his back legs, creating a large cut similar in appearance to a dragon's fang. In the Viz Manga and Funimation dub, this is called Tempest Kick Dragon Cut.
 * Kirin Hodai (キリン砲台): Kaku stands like a normal giraffe, but pulls his neck into his body, making it smaller. This apparently acts like a spring, as the subsequent Bigan (a headbutt-like variant of Shigan) is made much stronger by the momentum of the decondensed neck. In the Viz Manga and Funimation dub, this is called Giraffe Cannon.




 * Kyoku Bigan "Kirimanjaro" (極・鼻銃「麒麟マン射櫓」): After using Kirin Hodai to completely retract his neck into his body, he can fire it out like a cannon, making his Bigan much stronger. The name Kirimanjaro is a reference to "Kilimanjaro", the tallest mountain in Africa that shares the same name. In the Viz Manga and Funimation dub, this is called Extreme Nose Pistol Giraffe Blast.


 * Rankyaku "Neji Hakujin" (嵐脚「ネジ白刃」): Kaku does a normal Rankyaku after using his Kyoku Bigan Kirimanjaro, then twists his neck into a screw so the Rankyaku spins in a drill motion. In the Viz Manga and the Funimation dub, this is called Tempest Kick Spinning White Blade.




 * Pasta Machine (パスタマシン): This is Kaku's most abnormal technique. After pulling his neck in too much from Kirin Houdai, his neck is completely gone, but his arms and legs become very long, like putting dough through a pasta machine. After saying this, he immediately named this attack and got yelled at by Zoro to not name his attacks on the spot. In this mode, he can use his Four Sword Style technique to the greatest effect because of his added reach.




 * Gekirin (逆鱗): After using Pasta Machine, Kaku uses his Four Sword Style technique, by using his elongated arms and legs to fire powerful multiple slashes at the opponent. It, again, has an emphasis on the suffix kirin. In the Viz Manga and the Funimation dub, this is called Fury Slash.
 * The technique is named after the term used to describe the provoked-wrath of an ancient Chinese ruler being compared to a benevolent divine dragon having a certain scale under its chin the wrong way, invoking a swift-death and/or punishment to the offender. The alternate namesake of the giraffe, the Qilin/Kirin, also follows suit as it is normally a docile creature that actively avoids tramping others, unless provoked into an unstoppable rage.


 * Rankyaku "Shuriken" (嵐脚「手裏剣」): Kaku fires multiple Rankyaku blades in the shape of shuriken. This is called Tempest Kick Shuriken in the Viz Manga and the Funimation dub and Rankyaku: Shuriken in One Piece: Unlimited Adventure (dubbed by Funimation).


 * Henchikirin (鞭竹林): Kaku whips his neck, hitting the opponent repeatedly with his head. Written with emphasis on the suffix kirin, which means giraffe, it can also mean "weird". In the Viz Manga and the Funimation dub, this is called Whiplash.




 * Mochikirin (猛竹林): In this attack, Kaku thrusts his head at his opponent with even more ferocity. It has the same emphasis on kirin as in henchikirin. In the Viz Manga and the Funimation dub, this is called Fierce Smash.

Non-Canon New World Pirate Techniques

 * Satsuki-geri: A surprise bite attack, launched from above the opponent. It was used against Portgas D. Ace who managed to dodge it.
 * Kuzunoha Midarezuki (葛の葉): The attack is never seen, as Ace defeated the pirate before he could complete it.

History


After the return to Enies Lobby, Spandam revealed to Kaku that he had a Devil Fruit for Kaku and gave Kaku the Ushi Ushi no Mi, Model: Giraffe, although he did now know its name or power. While Jabra attempted to discourage Kaku from eating it, Rob Lucci encouraged him to eat it. Kaku peeled the fruit before consuming it.

Trivia



 * A fan asked Oda how Kalifa would look like if she were the one that ate this fruit instead of Kaku. Oda responded to this reader's question and drew Kalifa as a giraffe-human hybrid. Though Kalifa's Human-Beast Form, like most other Zoan Human-Beast Forms, is slightly exaggerated due to the inclusion of a giraffe's long neck and limbs, it is slightly more rounded and giraffe-like than the one gained by Kaku.
 * Spandam claimed that this Devil Fruit, along with the Awa Awa no Mi, had not yet been documented when he gave Kaku and Kalifa their respective fruits.
 * This is the first Zoan-type Devil Fruit to be seen before consumption.
 * This excludes the Gomu Gomu no Mi, which was later revealed to be the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika.
 * This is the first, and so far only, canon Devil Fruit to have been eaten by a non canon character.
 * Despite being classified in the Ushi Ushi no Mi series, giraffes and oxen are members of different animal families (being Giraffidae and Bovidae, respectively). Both animals do, however, share the same order, Artiodactyla.

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