Ushi Ushi no Mi, Model: Giraffe

The Ushi Ushi no Mi, Model: Giraffe, also known as the Ushi Ushi Fruit, Model: Giraffe, is a Zoan type Devil Fruit that allows a person to transform into a giraffe-human hybrid and a full giraffe. "Ushi" means cow and the fruit is one of the many Ushi Ushi Fruit models. Giraffes are actually part of cow family. It was given by Spandam to Kaku who ate it.

Appearance
The Ushi Ushi no Mi, Model: Giraffe is a red banana shaped fruit with various swirls on it. It's insides are yellow and also posses swirls.

Strengths and Weaknesses
The fruit's major strength, as demonstrated by Kaku, is that it gives it's 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 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 for which an attacker could exploit. This weakness however isn't fully exploited due to Kaku's manuevers, and 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 a stronger force 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 them 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, Fukuruo, 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, kama kirin, "scythe giraffe"): Used in half-giraffe form. Kaku strikes an airbone 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).


 * Kirin Houdai (キリン砲台, kirin hōdai, "giraffe cannon stand"): Used in half-giraffe form. Kaku stands like a normal giraffe, but pulls his neck into his body, making it smaller.


 * Pasta Machine (パスタマシン, pasuta mashin): Used in half giraffe form, this is Kaku's most ridiculous 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 uses his 4-sword technique to the greatest effect, because of his added reach.


 * Henchikirin (鞭竹林, henchikirin, "bamboo whip forest"): Used in half-giraffe form. With his neck, Kaku whips his neck, hitting the opponent repeatedly with his head. Written with emphasis on kirin (giraffe) and can also mean "weird".


 * Mouchikirin (猛竹林, mōchikirin, "fierce bamboo forest"): Used in half-giraffe form. In this attack, Kaku thrusts his head at his opponent with even more ferocity, probably using soru to increase the speed. Has the same emphasis on kirin as in henchikirin.


 * Gekirin (逆鱗, gekirin, "imperial wrath"): After using Pasta Machine, Kaku uses his yontouryuu technique this way. He uses his arms and legs to fire multiple slashes at the opponent. Has an emphasis on kirin.

Triva

 * A fan asked Oda of what would Kalifa look like if she was 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 it's banana shape. Since monkeys are often associated with bananas in common pop culture and due to the fact that Franky calls Kaku due to his jumping ability that he commonly displays while traversing Water 7, this speculation was expected as it also seemed like the author, Oda, was slightly implying it with the various subtle hint-like elements in order to throw readers off and intensify the joke of its revelation.