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.

Etymology

 * "Ushi" is Japanese for "cow" or "ox", and giraffes are in the same order as cows.
 * While the kanji is written as 麒麟 (kirin), the pronunciation remains as jirafu, the Japanese way to pronounce the species' name.
 * The term 麒麟 (both kanji are different ones used to translate to "shining/bright/genius") is actually a Chinese/Japanese term for the mythical beast of the same name (read as "Qilin" in Chinese/pinyin and "Kirin" in Japanese). The Qilin is often referred to as a type of mythical Chinese unicorn, almost similar to a tiger in appearance. "Giraffe" is only one of the term's translations due to the two creatures having possible connections. Due to the kanji's actual translations, some associated with the Qilin as their motif are often noted to have a brilliant mind (due to their symbolism for luck, good omens, protection, prosperity, success, and longevity in Chinese mythology), hence Kaku's skilled usage of his hybrid form.
 * In the Viz Manga and FUNimation dub, it is called the Ox-Ox Fruit Giraffe Model.

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 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.

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. 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.

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:


 * Henkei Jinjugata (変形人獣型): Kaku transforms into his giraffe-man hybrid 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」): Used in half-giraffe form. In this attack, he 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. In the English version of One Piece Unlimited Adventure, this is called Rankyaku: Amane Dachi, and in the Viz Manga and FUNimation dub, this is called Tempest Kick Sky Slicer.


 * 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.


 * 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 Yontoryu 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 FUNimation dub and Viz Manga, this is called Fury Slash. The term "Gekirin" is the Japanese reading of the Chinese term Nilin (written in the same characters), a nod to the times where Asian sovereigns would have their anger incurred if trifled with, no matter how kind they were. This was compared to the same manner a benevolent dragon's scales were rubbed the wrong way, hence the kanji translating to "inverted scale".


 * Bigan (鼻銃): Used in half-giraffe form. 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 FUNimation dub and Viz Manga, this is called Nose Pistol.


 * 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.
 * Kyoku Bigan "Kirimanjaro" (極・鼻銃「麒麟マン射櫓」): Used in half-giraffe form. 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, this is called Extreme Nose Pistol Giraffe Blast.


 * Tekkai "Mushikaku" (鉄塊「無死角」): Used in half-giraffe form. 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, this is called Iron Body Edgewise.
 * Rankyaku "Kiri Shigure" (嵐脚「麒麟時雨」): Used in half-giraffe form. 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, this is called Tempest Kick Giraffe Shower.


 * 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.


 * Rankyaku "Neji Hakujin" (嵐脚「ネジ白刃」): Used in half-giraffe form. He 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, this is called Tempest Kick Spinning White Blade.


 * Rankyaku "Rodan" (嵐脚「龍断」): Used in half-giraffe form. 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, this is called Tempest Kick Dragon Cut.

Enies Lobby Arc
After the return to Enies Lobby, Spandam reveals to Kaku that he has a Devil Fruit for him. Kaku says that it should be fun to eat it before he is encouraged by Rob Lucci, and he eats it without actually knowing the type of the fruit; Jabra attempted to discourage Kaku from doing so in jealousy that Kaku's Doriki is higher than his own, and does not want this new power to further cement this superiority, though Kaku ultimately ate it. Later on, Kaku has the opportunity to explore the feats of his new ability during his fight with Zoro.

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 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 its 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, had not yet been documented when he gave Kaku and Kalifa their respective fruits.
 * This is the third Devil Fruit, along with the Awa Awa no Mi, to be seen prior to the consumption of it, after the Gomu Gomu no Mi and the Bara Bara no Mi.
 * One of Kaku's techniques with this Devil Fruit's abilities also has the "Nilin/Gekirin" term in it, which is another nod to Chinese mythology. This also ties into the Qilin/Kirin with the association of mythical benevolent beasts that are harmless unless provoked.

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