Varanus Fang

Varanus Fang (バラニャス ファング Baranyasu Fangu) is a former bounty hunter and former Marine commodore. Currently he serves as an Amateur combatant of the Cheeky Pirates.

Appearance
Like many other Gerongians, Fang has tanned skin and green eyes, a dominant trait amongst his race. His white, messy hair generally sticks up and out with three distinct "sections" or "prongs", making it appear somewhat similar in shape to a star. He dresses in a white, sleeveless shirt with a high collar, light grey pants, brown shoes with iron plating, and grey fingerless gloves with matching arm braces. He obscures his mouth, filled with rows of razor-sharp teeth, using a beige-colored scarf and wears a grey forehead protector tied with a white strip of cloth. He does this in order to hide his Gerongian ancestry and avoid persecution. Notably, a great deal of the time, his right eye is shadowed.

Personality
Fang is a rather composed individual. He’s rather easy to get along with and can easily participate in civil discussions, regardless of if whoever he is talking to despises him or not. He demonstrated this amicable behavior during his conversations with Alexis and Jackal. He has a general relaxed feel towards him, being so laidback that this even affects the feel of his Haki, a trait common to his race. However, he is not lazy. Fang’s always heavily engrossed in his work, even stating that he rarely got the chance to relax before joining the Cheeky Pirates. He’ll even finish up simple, daily chores before attempting to relax. He considers requests and journeys to be no big deal, even opting to travel from island to island using Geppo instead of a ship. As a bounty hunter, he seemed to take pleasure in his job, although he preferred to go after pirates with a substantial bounty behind them, deeming them more worthy of his time. He is still capable of recognizing when he's out of his depth, such as when he was overwhelmed by Mauricio Kerrim, even seeming annoyed by the level of power he wielded not being indicated by his bounty.

Fang strangely has a distaste for wasting anything, another trait known to be common amongst his kind; from food and water, to even more inconsequential things such as soap and wood. He always makes sure it’s used in its entirety. He even displays somewhat erratic behavior when it comes to wasted items, quickly thinking of ways that they can be used so as to not become wasted material. This leads him to becoming completely distracted from whatever he was doing before, even when in the midst of battle. This strange behavior is also included in the bodies of deceased humans; while he will not go out of his way to do so, when someone dies in front of him and he does not require their body, he eats them. He states that the meat isn’t the best tasting, but it’s good enough to not simply ignore, further adding to his strange batch of morals. If there is too much meat for him to consume, he often uses the remains to fertilize his garden of tomatoes.

Fang is known to believe strongly in equality and order, working towards a world where all races can live in harmony, with no discrimination and a lasting peace. This is what initially led him to joining the Marines, but he has since found other methods of achieving this dream since leaving the organization.

Mauricio Kerrim
When Fang and Kerrim met, Fang was simply attempting to collect Kerrim's bounty. However, the former bounty hunter was woefully underprepared for the sheer might of the pirate captain. Despite this, Kerrim was impressed by Fang's strength and Marine background, and as such, was offered a position into Kerrim's crew, which Fang reluctantly accepted. While he respects his captain's strength and authority, he finds it difficult to actually like him, deeming his destructive habits and killings unnecessary and wasteful. However, he has still demonstrated fear towards his captain when he reprimands other crew members.

Rena Alexis
Alexis was the first crew mate of the Cheeky Pirates that Fang met. Fang seems to have a great interest in Alexis and her relationship with Kerrim. He seems to find her attractive, having called her cute when asking about how she ended up joining a pirate crew, although he does not appear to show any romantic interest in her.

He seems to hold her in higher regard than most of his other crew mates, even more than his captain, more so because he finds her to be the only relatively normal member of their crew. During an ambush by the O.G Pirates, despite still being a new member of the crew, Fang prioritized Alexis' safety and first aid over actually fighting his enemies, which ultimately left him wide open to attacks from his opponents. He even used his body as a shield to prevent her unconscious body from incurring lethal damage while attempting to flee. After Alexis was taken by Kerrim to watched over, Fang opted to take on every member of the Quattro Temporali by himself to get revenge for them harming his crew mate.

Joaquin Jackal
Fang's first encounter with Jackal was when he fell off the bow of the Laughing Turtle, nearly falling into the sea. Fang used Geppo to save him. Despite Fang seeming to find his antics to be generally idiotic, the two seem to get along well enough. Fang finds several of his actions amusing and gives him "advice" about being more careful in the future.

Abilities And Powers
As a former commodore of the Marines, Fang once held authority over any lower-ranked Marines. It also would stand to reason that Fang would’ve had substantial power in order to reach that rank, as well as excellent leadership skills. However, he forfeited these privileges when he resigned from the Marines. Since he has only continued to gain power since going off on his own, his former Marine rank is likely not indicative of his full strength. Fang believed himself to be powerful enough to defeat Mauricio Kerrim, a Logia Devil Fruit user with a bounty of 200,000,000, by himself, implying that he has taken in formidable pirates with similar bounties during his time as a bounty hunter and Marine officer. He claimed to be worth an army when Kerrim stated Fang would need one to take him down. Even as a child, at age four, Fang was strong enough to win a tournament against the other children of Gerong Island in order to become the current user of the Toka Toka no Mi, Model: Komodo Dragon. His overall strength and background as a Marine was enough to prompt Kerrim to ask Fang to join his crew.

Physical Abilities
Fang has a high degree of physical strength, capable of even digging through the earth at high speed, using only a partial transformation of his Devil Fruit. As a Gerongian, Fang's physical strength is twice that of a normal human's at birth, and considering his physical training and more mature body, his strength has likely been multiplied even greater than that. Kerrim, himself, even admitted, that in terms of pure brute strength, Fang was superior to him, at least while his Devil Fruit was active. The fact that he was able to master every Rokushiki technique, a martial art known to only be accessible to super humans, is another testament to his strength.

Fang prefers to go from island to island (and ship to ship) using Geppo as opposed to actually using a ship or raft of his own, a testament to his high degree of endurance as well as his phenomenal leg strength and overall speed. It is also worth noting that Fang immediately challenged Kerrim after having not eaten for the entirety of that day and after using Geppo to travel to the island they were on, having not shown any signs of fatigue from the journey.

His physical durability is also quite impressive. Fang managed to withstand a point-blank explosion (with the aid of his Haki and Devil Fruit), strong enough to heavily injure Alexis and completely incinerate a bystander. This is likely due to an overall resistance to heat due to his high body temperature and mastery of the Power of the Dragon's Spirit. During his fight with Kerrim, he withstood the Logia user destroying the bar they were in, and came out of the rubble completely unscathed, as well as remaining conscious after taking the brunt of Kerrim's Stance 10 — Serpente Ombra and Stance 16 — Incision Typhoon in quick succession. Even after being defeated, Fang still had ample strength to get up and continue moving without difficulties, more so having given up after realizing he was out of his depth.

On top of possessing an already incredible physique, Fang also possesses a rather advanced sense of smell, using it in conjunction with Kenbunshoku Haki to sense the emotional states of many people nearby. Less impressively, he could also tell the quality of a pot of soil purely by smell.

As a Gerongian, Fang is known to have the capability of entering a Blood Rage, however, he has not been seen using this ability.

Rokushiki
Fang mastered all six Rokushiki techniques while a member of the Marines, not only using each technique in their base form, but also inventing at least one variation of each technique. On top of this, he also capable of using variations of Rokushiki techniques invented by other masters, such as Jugon, Tekkai "Sai", and Kamisori. He is capable of expertly supplementing and combining his Rokushiki techniques, such as launching himself towards an opponent with Geppo and then hardening his body with Tekkai for maximum efficiency. Fang can utilize principals of individual Rokushiki techniques to create his own, unique fighting style so as to increase the potency of his normal attacks. For example, he is capable of creating slashing winds with his arms by using the principles of Rankyaku.


 * Geppo "Kushu" (月歩「空襲」, Geppō "Kūshū"): Rather than making a light step off the air like most uses of Geppo, Fang instead uses an incredibly heavy step with both feet. This generates a shockwave that strikes the ground beneath him. This technique is incredibly fast and powerful. The only drawback is that it sends Fang high into the air after using it (or just launching him far in the opposite direction of whatever way he launched the attack). In the English version, this technique is referred to as Moon Walk Air Raid.


 * Tekkai "Buso" (鉄塊「武装」, Tekkai "Busō"): A combination of Tekkai and Busoshoku Haki. Simply activating them at the same time, this drastically increases defense, allowing Fang to defend himself from even Haki-enhanced attacks. This defense was strong enough to partially defend against two of Kerrim's attacks, an individual whose own Haki was drastically superior to that of Fang's. Occasionally when using the technique, Fang will omit the "Buso" portion of the title. In the English version, this technique is referred to as Iron Body Armament.


 * Rankyaku "Ryu no Ame" (嵐脚「竜の雨」, Rankyaku "Ryu no Ame"): While in midair, likely after using Geppo, Fang begins to rapidly kick off of the air, sending down a multitude of razor-winds down onto his opponent. Rather than being the more wide-reaching blades of standard Rankyaku, they are more concentrated lines, drastically increasing their piercing power, similar to the variation Rankyaku "Sen". These blades have been described as being "laser-like" in power. In the English version, this technique is called Tempest Kick Dragon Rain.


 * Rankyaku "Kama" (嵐脚「鎌」, Rankyaku "Kama"): A stronger version of Rankyaku. The shape of this technique, rather than being in the shape a blade, is in the shape of a crescent. The crescent spins as it travels, gathering more force and speed until it eventually cuts into something. This technique is more so designed to cleave people into pieces rather than simply cut into them. In the English version, this technique is called Tempest Kick Sickle.


 * Rankyaku "Zen Hankei" (嵐脚「全半径 」, Rankyaku "Zen Hankei"): Fang plants his hand on the ground and builds up force by spinning his legs in a circular motion. After "charging" the move, Fang releases the Rankyaku, generating a circular blade in every direction from Fang’s feet, cutting through everything in its path. The power of this technique is dependent on the amount of time Fang spends charging it. In the English version, this technique is called Tempest Kick Full Radius.

Power of the Dragon's Spirit
As a Gerongian, Fang possesses a much high body temperature than any ordinary race. The Power of the Dragon's Spirit is a martial art developed by Gerongians that utilizes this body to generate heat for offensive purposes. This allows Fang to enhance his attacks with immense heat, project flames from his person, or transfer heat into other objects to either melt, ignite, or heat them up. Fang has been shown to be capable of generating flames and heat so hot that it feels as though the oxygen itself is burning up. Fang has demonstrated that he can also increase the potency of this ability by transforming into his hybrid form, which has an overall larger body and generates more heat.

While he is essentially immune to heat (and the heat he produces as a result) he is still incapable of inhaling the smoke and also has trouble breathing in high heat areas as his opponent would. However, Fang can at least prepare for his attacks ahead of time, and often holds his breath before using a large scale attack. Using this martial art also decreases his own internal body temperature over time, which prevents him from using it at all when he's reached a body temperature equal to normal humans. In order to gain his power back, he can either perform activities to increase his body temperature (such as sunbathing) or simply not use it for a long enough period of time.

Devil Fruit
Fang ate the Toka Toka no Mi, Model: Komodo Dragon, a Zoan-type Devil Fruit that allows him to transform into a full Komodo dragon and Komodo dragon-human hybrid form at will. As a Carnivorous Zoan, Fang's battle instincts are much sharper than that of a normal Zoan's. Fang first ate this fruit at age four, giving him ample time to master its facets. Notably, he is even capable of conducting partial transformations in order to enhance his physical characteristics in specific areas, without the need to take the time for a full transformation. This is reminiscent of Marco's control over his own Devil Fruit. He is even capable of performing a partial transformation by covering his entire body in his Komodo dragon scales, a form which gives him much more flexibility and maneuverability in combat. Presumably, his bulkier hybrid form has less flexibility than a partial transformation, but is overall more impressive physically.

In his hybrid form, Fang's physical strength is amplified to a much greater degree due to its enhanced musculature, without decreasing speed. On top of this, Fang is provided several new attributes to his physique to supplement his fighting style. The scales covering his body are much denser than normal lizard scales, as they are made of osteoderms, greatly enhancing both Fang's defense and offense. He also possesses claws, capable of cleaving flesh straight off the bone and act as a great supplement to the power of his Shigan technique. They are also excellent tools for digging, as Fang is capable of tunneling exceptionally quickly through the ground with them. The most dangerous aspect of his transformation is the venom glands in his cheeks. While not an inherently deadly poison, when introduced into his target's body it can cause a decrease in blood pressure, increase the rate of bleeding via an anticoagulant, cause paralysis, and induce shock. However, this takes some time to take effect. The process is generally hastened by physical activity, causing the venom to circulate more quickly throughout the body. Fang himself is immune to his own venom, as well as possessing an immunity to any other lizard venom.

Unfortunately, Fang's Komodo dragon form has a few weaknesses as well, notably in his senses. He possesses poor overall hearing, unable to hear many things that ordinary humans are capable of while transformed. However, Fang takes advantage of these weaknesses by selectively transforming portions of his body to assist in blocking out certain sounds and assisting in recovery. This was first demonstrated when he managed to block out the sound of a point blank explosion to prevent his eardrums from bursting. To compensate, he generally uses his sense of smell and Kenbunshoku Haki, making his ability to hear irrelevant.

Haki
As a Gerongian, the sense individuals get from Fang is known to be rather calm, which often causes opposition into thinking he's weaker than he actually is. This also assists with stealth, allowing him to more easily sneak up on opponent's even other Kenbunshoku Haki users.

Busoshoku Haki
Fang's specialty when it comes to Haki is Busoshoku Haki. Fang first unlocked Busoshoku Haki at age ten when he defended himself from a Komodo dragon's own Haki-enhanced bite, proving how sturdy his own Haki was, even at such a young age. Generally he uses it to increase the power of his Rokushiki techniques for both offensive and defensive purposes. He is skilled enough to apply extra heavy coating of Haki, causing his body to turn black in the affected area. Fang has even displayed the ability to coat his entire body in Busoshoku Haki, similarly to Vergo and Pica. His Haki is notable enough to even allow him to defend against a massive explosion that heavily injured Alexis and vaporized a nearby person, while Fang suffered mostly from burns.

Kenbunshoku Haki
Fang is also capable of using Kenbunshoku Haki. As evidenced during his fight with Kerrim, where he managed to predict his opponent's attack. Fang learned Kunbunshoku Haki shortly after unlocking Busoshoku Haki as a child. He's capable of reading an opponent's moves in order to see and dodge their attacks (as evidenced during his brief fight with Mauricio Kerrim) as well as sense the presence and emotional state of those nearby. His Kenbunshoku Haki even seems to be elevated by his sense of smell, increasing the range and number of individuals he can keep track of at once. His skill even allows him to hide his presence from other Kenbunshoku Haki users, enhancing his stealth capabilities. His calmer disposition helps with the usage of his Kenbunshoku Haki, allowing him to both keep a cool head and continue to track his opponent's movements without issue.

Past
29 years before the current story, Varanus Ora, decided to become a mother. However, not wanting to take the time to find a mate that she like, she decided to give birth via parthenogenesis. As such, Fang was born amongst the other Gerongians of Gerong Island. Four years later, the previous user of the Toka Toka no Mi, Model: Komodo Dragon died. As per tradition, a tournament was held amongst the youths of the island to determine who would earn the right to inherit the fruit. Despite his young age, and lack of Haki at the time, Fang decided to enter, and even won the tournament, earning the right to eat the Devil Fruit.

Four years after acquiring his Devil Fruit, a Marine officer washed ashore on Gerong Island. Fang and his mother found themselves taking care of the man, and were surprised by his lack of prejudice against the Gerongians (Gerongians were often considered feral, sun-humans that had a preference for human flesh by people of the outside world). The Marine spoke of order and equality amongst races, greatly influencing Fang's decision to join the Marines later in life.

At age ten, Fang was bitten by his mother's pet Komodo dragon, Lily, using Busoshoku Haki. However, at the same time, Fang awoke his own Busoshoku Haki, defending himself from the bite. Fang would then train in both forms of Haki, learning Kenbunshoku Haki as well.

Fang later left Gerong Island and joined the Marines, rising up the ranks to eventually become a commodore. It was during this time that he honed his skills in Haki and mastered Rokushiki. However, fearing that his cannibalistic tendencies and Gerongian heritage would soon be revealed, Fang left the Marines and became a bounty hunter instead, using the bounties that he took in as a method to instill a little bit more order into the world with every pirate he defeated.

Baring Your Fangs
One day, Fang heard of the infamous Super Rookie and pirate captain, Mauricio Kerrim, having been seen on an island nearby his location. Using Geppo, Fang immediately traveled to the island in an attempt to claim his lucrative bounty. However, he found himself having underestimated the power of the pirate captain. After a brief scuffle, the pirate captain handed him a decisive defeat. However, completely unexpected, Kerrim extended an invitation to Fang to join his crew, the Cheeky Pirates. While hesitant at first, and even claiming that he might kill Kerrim in the future (given his background as a Marine), he eventually relented and decided to join.

Lasting Impressions
Not long after being recruited into the Cheeky Pirates, Fang found himself sunbathing on the deck of the Cheeky Pirates' ship, the Laughing Turtle. Unable to relax as he had planned, he instead found himself becoming acquainted with his crew mates. He was immediately accosted by Alexis, who thought that the recruitment of a former marine was a bad idea and that Fang must have bribed Kerrim to allow him to join. After confirming that he did not bribe Kerrim, Fang was forced to save another crew mate, Jackal, from falling off of the ship. Things got even more hectic when Itim Xie suddenly broke through the floor. Deciding to ignore his more eccentric crew mates' behavior, Fang struck up a conversation with Alexis, taking a special interest in her and her relationship with Kerrim.

After witnessing Kerrim reprimanding Xie for damaging the ship, and feeling the intense spirit of Kerrim, Fang went into town after docking at an island with Alexis, somewhat nervous after feeling Kerrim's power. The duo planned to buy some much needed supplies, with Fang wanted to get some high-quality soil for his tomatoes. Not long after, the duo realized that there was a strange presence in the area with a strange strange clicking being heard. While looking for lumber in a shop to repair the deck, Fang was tricked into picking up a bomb, with him and Alexis having had their senses impaired in preparation for an ambush. The resulting explosion heavily injured Alexis, leaving Fang to protect her against their aggressors, the Quattro Temporali; the four strongest members of the O.G Pirates. Fang was more worried about protecting Alexis, attempting to flee from the area. Fortunately, Kerrim soon arrived, taking Alexis off of his hands. Wanting to prove himself to his captain, make up for his mistake, and get revenge for the severe injury of his crew mate, Fang decided to engage the Quattro Temporali by himself.

Fang began his battle with great difficulty at first, failing to even scratch Willie with several powerful Rokushiki techniques. It was after being cornered by the coordination of Billie, Billy, and Willy that Fang demonstrated his another skill, the Power of the Dragon's Spirit.

Major Battles

 * Varanus Fang vs. Mauricio Kerrim
 * Varanus Fang vs. Willie, Willy, Billy, and Billie

Trivia

 * Varanus is the genus that monitor lizards, notably Komodo dragons, belong to.


 * Fang's source image comes from White Star, a character from the anime and manga series Soul Eater.


 * Fang's favorite foods are venison and the tomatoes he grows in his own garden.


 * Fang's love of venison is a reference to how Komodo dragons often hunt deer in the wild.


 * Fang's blood-type is F.


 * Like many other characters, Fang has a distinct laugh, "Kri ha ha ha!"