Ushi Ushi no Mi, Model: Giraffe

The Ushi Ushi no Mi, Model: Giraffe (ウシウシの実 モデル：麒麟（ジラフ）) is a Zoan-type Devil Fruit that allows its user to transform into a giraffe hybrid and a full giraffe at will. "Ushi" is Japanese for "cow" or "ox", and giraffes are part of the same order as cows. In the FUNimation sub, it is called the Ox-Ox Fruit, Model: Giraffe, and in the Viz Manga, it is called the Ox-Ox Fruit Giraffe Model. It was eaten by Kaku, who received it from Spandam.

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 hybrid form. Initially, the powers of the fruit to turn into a giraffe and a half giraffe were mocked due to the animal itself and Kaku's rather blocky half giraffe form respectively. This mockery however was soon put aside when Kaku demonstrated how effective and deadly he was in his half giraffe form.

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 isn't 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.

Usage
The fruit's bestowed powers, as used by Kaku, have been used mostly for combat. Combined with his Rokushiki skills and swordsmanship, Kaku uses the power of the Devil Fruit to become an even stronger foe in battle. Intially, 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.

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 full giraffe form to make a slide for kids to ride on whilst his other fellow CP9 agent, Fukuro, collected money from them.

The named techniques that are used by Kaku that involve the Devil Fruit are as follows:


 * Kama Kirin (鎌麒麟): Used in half-giraffe form, 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, this is called Giraffe Scythe.


 * Kirin Hodai (キリン砲台): Used in half-giraffe form. 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 blow) is made much stronger by the momentum of the decondensed neck. In the Viz Manga, this is called Giraffe Cannon.


 * Pasta Machine (パスタマシン): Used in half giraffe form, 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 Yountouryu technique to the greatest effect because of his added reach.


 * Henchikirin (鞭竹林): Used in half-giraffe form, 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 FUNimation dub, this technique keeps its original name, and in the Viz Manga, this is called Whiplash.




 * Mochikirin (猛竹林): Used in half-giraffe form, 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, this is called Fierce Smash.


 * 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 FUNimation dub, this technique keeps its original name, and in the Viz Manga, this is called Fury Slash.

Trivia

 * A fan asked Oda of what would Kalifa 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 hybrid form, like most other Zoan hybrid 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.
 * This Devil Fruit was once speculated by fans to be a Devil Fruit that would turn it's user into some sort of monkey, due to its banana-like shape.
 * Spandam claimed that this Devil Fruit, along with the Awa Awa no Mi, has not yet been documented when he gave Kaku and Kalifa the respective fruits.

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