Spike/Abilities and Powers

Physical Abilities
Spike is well known in and out of his crew for his inhuman reserves of raw strength and power. Even as a child aboard his father's pirate ship, Spike claimed he could hold his own against his fellow crewmates, despite his size and youth. However, even despite his self-proclaimed strength, Spike was abandoned by his father and the crew at Sabaody Archipelago for eating their prized Devil Fruit; proving his strength wasn't absolute.

Upon being found and adopted in by the orca fishman and former Sun Pirates member, Urufu, Spike's physical strength began to grow. Countless skirmishes and brawls between the father and son toughened Spike up, and made him far more powerful than any average child in the grove they stayed at at the time. Of course, even despite this increase in might, Spike was still capable of receiving horrific bruises and beatings if Urufu was too rough on him. After Urufu's death at the hands of the Marines, Spike's grief turned to determination, which later fueled the personal training he underwent until he became the powerful fighter he is now.

An early testament to Spike's power was when he accidentally ended up in a fight with his future captain, Jolly D. Chris after meeting for the first time. Chris, capable of swatting aside a sea king, a ship full of Marines and even a band of pirates prior to meeting Spike, found it impressive to have been put into a serious brawl against Spike. It even became part of the reason Chris enlisted Spike to be the first mate of his fledgling pirate crew. In later adventures, Spike proved to be far more powerful than any of his fellow crewmates. Having eaten the Dino Dino Fruit, Model: Kentrosaurus as a child, which caused his isolation in the first place, Spike was endowed with even greater physical might. It ws pointed out on multiple occassions that Spike had the most physical raw strength among The Jolly Pirates, surpassing his captain, as well as those like Hanuman, Dracule Sakura and Chiyome Lys.

When transformed into what he calls his Hybrid Shift, Spike becomes far more powerful than he is in his Man Shift. Due to the combined muscular mass of his human state and Kentrosaurus strength, Spike has been seen easily smashing apart nearly any obstacle in his path with his fists alone. It's been done so much that whenever Spike transforms into his Hybrid Shift, it tends to be an indicator that he's being serious and intends to go all out. Though after learning to better control his Zoan transformations, Spike has increased the overall destructive effectiveness of his attacks. By isolating his transformations to only one arm or leg, Spike can keep his tremendous power without becoming a massive target for enemy attacks, nor would he lose as much speed as usual in Hybrid Shift. After the time skip, Spike's usage of X Aphro's latest drug, the Revival Cubes have allowed Spike to swap into more, alternate and diverse forms than his standard three; which have further increased Spike's overall strength. Especially his Power Shift and Monster Shift forms, where the former holds more might than Hybrid Shift, and the latter is the strongest of them all.

Spike has later proven himself to be worthy of being among the crew's reputable "Supreme Six;" the top six strongest fighters within the ranks of The Jolly Pirates. This is largely in part due to varying feats of super strength, such as squaring off against the dangerous bigfoot, Hanuman, alongside Chris and Sakura at Ape Island. He has also managed to last multiple rounds against Roxanne of The Valkyrie Pirates in the Davy Back Fight between both crews, where even when forced to hold back against her by using only his Man Shift, Spike was capable of landing a few damaging blows on the experienced boxer. After the time skip, Spike's impressive achievements continued to outdo themselves, as not only was Spike capable of single-handedly annihilating the subordinates of the Wrath Division of The Collosal Pirates, but he then went on to challenge, fight and defeat Yomi himself, who was placed as the crew's 2nd division commander and first mate. All without the aid of Haoshoku Haki or a lethal weapon, as was used by Chris and Sakura respectively.

Despite Spike being heavily muscled, and equipped with tremendous strength, he's not as fast as he is strong. This is most prominent whenever he uses his Ancient Zoan powers to transform for combat; as the increase in bulk and muscular build increases his size (in Hybrid Shift,) or reduces his overall top speed (in Beast Shift.) He's usually his fastest in Man Shift, where his smaller size and bipedal stance help to give him better use of his quick reflexes and superhuman speed; as seen in his boxing match against Roxanne, where Spike's swift movements surprised his crewmates, who had rarely seen him move so fast in battle, and had allowed him to keep up with Roxanne, and make up for his handicapped strength. In his first battle with Jolly D. Chris, he proved to be quick enough in Man Shift to counter a strike to his blind spot after delivering a heavy blow to Chris, which even Chris noted to have been amazing.

As noted before, Spike's speed drops whenever he transforms. As before the time skip, Spike relied heavily on his Hybrid Shift's raw power to defeat his foes, he was always seen as slower than his fellow crewmates, including his own captain. This was most painfully obvious in the battle against Hanuman at Ape Island, where Spike's reliance on his basic transformations put him at a disadvantage against the agile bigfoot. And even during the second battle against his captain in the Mutiny Arc before that, Chris, having already come to know Spike's fighting style, managed to make up for his lack of strength in comparison to Spike's, by out-maneuvering him with his speed; which in the end, cost Spike the victory he had sought. It appears this weakness was what ultimately forced Spike to develop his Zoan abilities, as in later story arcs, he showed the power to partially transform his body, to make clever use of both his power and speed, without the risk of losing either. After the time skip and the introduction of the Revival Cubes, Spike showed only a slight difference in speed and agility among his various forms. While each of his new Shifts were no faster than the others for differing reasons, his Speed Shift finally gave him an edge in battle when dealing with faster fighters, due to the way his body is formed in this state. When in Speed Shift, not only was he capable of matching advanced users of Soru, but his crewmates remarked he had become as fast as Sakura was before the time skip. By attaining Speed Shift, Spike's agility has only benefited his strength even further, by adding more weight to each of his strikes, despite having little offensive use on its own.

Going hand in hand with his inhuman strength, Spike has constantly been admired and feared alike for his resiliency and high tolerance for pain and injury. Spike implied that due to his rough years as a child, he learned to overcome discomfort quite quickly, to the point where when Spike once punched a cannonball with his bare fist alone, causing a good deal of damage to him, he decided to go on fighting as if nothing had happened. Apparently, not only had his early experiences as a pirate shaped his endurance, but so had the occasional brawls with his adoptive father, Urufu. Given Spike's preferred form of combat, and the lack of overall protection he gives himself, Spike is usually the member of The Jolly Pirates who tends to be the most at risk of imminent death, if not extreme or permanent injury. And even despite this, Spike's ability to receive constant, numerous beatings and lethal attacks and still stay standing, or at least come out of a fight intact is rather astounding.

Perhaps one of his most amazing earlier feats of super endurance was during the Mutiny Arc, where after losing a difficult match against Chris, Spike met and was ultimately confronted by -. Even with the wounds and injuries covering his body, Spike chose to take on -, who became highly famous for -, as well as -. Even with all his bravado and limited reserves of power, Spike finally succumbed to his wounds and -'s formidable strength and skill, and was then arrested and brought into the Marines. Afterward, when his crew broke him free, Spike, who was still recovering a little from his fight with -, proceeded to join his then ex-crewmates in razing the Marine base to the ground, leaving nothing left.

When transformed through the use of his Ancient Zoan Devil Fruit, Spike seems to grow in terms of durability, alongside his strength. While in Hybrid Shift, which concentrates all of Spike's greatest physical attributes from both his Man and Beast Shifts, Spike's thicker muscles and bones, as well as the protective scales covering his body make Spike even more difficult to overwhelm in combat. This makes attacks from blunt trauma, bladed weapons and even firearms less effective against him than in his Man Shift or Beast Shift (where the musculature is less defined.) Effectively turning Spike into a living, offensive fortress. It appears to be this natural toughness that has lead Spike to believe his reckless, brutish tactics are truly effective in the long run; though while not always true, in some cases, they've proven to be just what he needed to overcome a powerful enemy. During his two known fights against Chris, Spike backed up his boasts of being unbeatable by choosing to block some of Chris' attacks, rather than dodge or intercept them, which made even Chris acknowledge how hard pressed he was to defeat Spike. Likewise, during the time skip, in order to strengthen himself for the sake of the crew, Spike challenged and ultimately managed to defeat the local Lapins of Sakura Kingdom, despite their ferocity and the fact Spike was clearly outnumbered. And even then, afterward, during the Jollys' Defeat Arc and after being brainwashed and separated from the crew, Spike managed to push Drazil during their fight to a point where Drazil almost lost, despite Drazil proving his merit and might in earlier arcs. "What good's a military if it can't bring down a single man? Looks like your army needs better training." After the time skip, with his new Zoan transformations and Revival Cube, Spike's resiliency increased even further. While somewhat more durable in Man, Beast and Hybrid Shift, Spike's Armor Shift proved to be the most durable, due to the heavy, thick plates covering his body like a sturdy armor (thus the name.) When proving just how effective his new Armor Shift was against Yomi's Wrath Division, Spike boldly chose to stand still and allow Yomi's men to bombard and assault him with numerous weaponry and attacks. Even after more than fifty blasts from bazookas, thirty-seven stabs and slashes, and at least around one hundred punches and kicks, Spike boasted his newfound endurance by single-handedly knocking back everyone in his vicinity with one clean motion, showing he was unfazed by Yomi's prized military might among The Collosal Pirates. Later on, during the Lys Arc, and when forced to use his Monster Shift, Spike proved to be truly implacable, as not even the strongest of his opponent's techniques slowed Spike down, let alone catch his attention.

Outside of battle, Spike likes to think of himself as being truly unstoppable, believing that nothing can hinder him in the slightest. However, it was proven to be false later on, and subsequently, in later story arcs, where Spike has at times complained about a lack of food or water, or has even passed out from malnourishment. Albeit, after once staying up for an extended period of time without proper sleep, Spike appeared to be perfectly fine, indicating he could still function normally, with or without proper rest. During the Timber Arc, when confronted by the aspiring bounty hunter, Ika, who had devoured the Insect Insect Fruit, Model: Black Widow, Spike showed hesitation to boldly take on Ika's venom based attacks, showing that he was well aware that he could be poisoned and die because of it. Other ailments, such as extreme temperatures (especially cold climates) and disease also seem to be just as potent and dangerous to Spike as any average person; however, Spike has still shown the ability to resist the discomfort before finally passing out or giving in to whatever's affecting him at the time.

Fighting Style
Spike's love for living life on the edge has an immediate effect on the way he fights. Using fighting as an excuse to get into dangerous situations and thus further satisfy his addiction, Spike shows more of a preference for close ranged melee combat as opposed to fighting from afar with guns and other firearms. Even then, Spike shows no true desire to wield weapons such as blades or polearms, and consistently has fought and defeated powerful opponents with nothing but his own body. The only exception he seems to make is when he uses his brass knuckles he inherited from his foster father, Urufu; the Plated Fists. Combined with his immense physical might and Devil Fruit, these weapons are ideally suited for Spike, and allow him to cause massive destruction without much effort.

Like his captain, Spike also has no known knowledge of martial arts, and tends to use a more improvised style that allows him to adapt to any situation or circumstance. Unlike Chris, Spike is such a skillful fighter, that he seems to show a talent in analyzing and comprehending any foreign or unfamiliar fighting styles he goes up against, such as Rokushiki or Bigfoot Muay-Thai. Thus, while he tends to not use any form of martial arts to aid him in battle, it appears he does this out of desire, not because he is unable to do so. It also implies Spike can learn various forms of martial arts if he ever wanted to, but has chosen against it. Spike's preferred form of combat is to maximize his talents to their fullest extent, and then overwhelm his opponents in the shortest time possible. Every battle Spike's been seen in, he tends to rely on the physical enhancements of his Dino Dino Fruit, Model: Kentrosaurus to compliment his already impressive abilities and gain an easy upper hand against his foes. As a result, Spike usually wins his fights by making clever use out of out-muscling his opponents.

Despite Spike's aggressive and simplistic fighting style, he does show signs of being a wise combatant from time to time. Usually, when put on the defensive, Spike puts up a rather decent guard to stall his opponents' moves, or will use evasive actions to buy him the time he needs to regroup and go on the offensive again. He also appears to know when to hold back, as seen in his boxing match with Roxanne during the Davy Back Fight in the Aphro Arc. Spike remained in his "Man Shift" human form to make better use of the arena, as he realized the ring was too small for his "Hybrid Shift." He also seems to prefer reserving his stronger techniques for later, which may imply he knows how to manage his stamina in a fight. This knack for combat, almost considered genius to some, has made Spike somewhat reputable among fighting enthusiasts such as himself, or simply powerful and dangerous people. Spike is normally the one among his crew who gets invited to a fight by those who seek to test their strength and skill against him.

Devil Fruit
Like Jolly D. Chris, Spike has eaten one of the legendary Devil Fruits; his being a member of the Zoan series of Devil Fruit; an Ancient Zoan Devil Fruit known as the Dino Dino Fruit, Model: Kentrosaurus. Having eaten the Devil Fruit as a small child and gaining the ability to transform willingly between being human, a form of Stegosaur known as a Kentrosaurus, and a mix between the two, Spike has many years of experience under his belt in how to fully control his powers, and to know when each form is at its best in any given situation. By eating an Ancient Zoan class of Devil Fruit, Spike is gifted with far greater strength and stamina than regular Zoan users, making him a formidable and dangerous foe.

While his human and Kentrosaurus forms, which he respectively refers to as his Man Shift and Beast Shift are rather average in appearance, it is his Hybrid Shift which stands out the most; allowing Spike to grow in size to around 22 ft, the same size as Warlord, Bartholomew Kuma. Additionally, he has relatively the same body proportions, albeit spread out a little more, with his torso, arms and legs being brimmed with raw, rigid muscles for maximum power and defense. In this form, he also sports the plates and spines of a Kentrosaurus down his back, ending at the tip of his tail, and has the famous pair of one-foot long shoulder spines growing out from atop his shoulders, and bending backward, facing away from the direction Spike is facing. Despite the advantages his Devil Fruit gives him in each form, Spike spends the largest majority of his time in his human state, and only transforms when fighting or when needed.

Revival Cube
After the two year time skip, in which Spike joined X Aphro in traveling to Sakura Kingdom for their training, Spike returned not only with improved physical skills and better control of his Devil Fruit, but with a small, pink tofu-shaped pill known as the "Revival Cube." It was shown that thanks to Aphro's training under Dr. Kureha, he was able to manage a recreation of Chopper's Rumble Ball, despite Kureha's limited understanding of the pill itself. By creating a similar (but not exact) drug for Spike, Spike was granted the ability to make use out of four additional transformations for five minutes; making Spike's already reputable skills more potent and devastating.

Despite the benefits, Aphro and Kureha easily noted that the Revival Cube fell under the same weaknesses as its predecessor, the Rumble Ball. Due to altering the wavelengths of a Zoan Devil Fruit's morphing abilities, it can only be used after six hours have passed. If used more than once within the time limit, Spike will suffer from the side effects. Two Revival Cubes consumed within six hours leads to an instability in transforming, making it harder for Spike to become the form he needs at the time, while three Revival Cubes consumed in six hours will unleash the unnamed Monster Shift; a hulking, giant reptilian beast that cannot determine friend from foe. While at his most powerful, this also puts an immense strain on Spike's body, as the energy required to sustain the transformation can be lethal to him. As a result of these weaknesses, Spike has started an attempt to train himself and conquer the effects of the Revival Cube, in the hopes to become more helpful to his crewmates and allies.

Weapons
The only weapons Spike has been seen using on a near regular basis, and those that he has permitted the use of, are a pair of golden-yellow brass knuckles, known as the "Plated Fists." Due to the Plated Fists not being a polearm, firearm, or any form of bladed weapon, they barely pass as a reasonable choice of weapon to Spike; being only used to protect his fists and to enhance the strength of his punches when used. The Plated Fists are actually very special and dear to Spike, as they're forged from Eve Steel, a very expensive and reliable metal, and because they once belonged to his now deceased adoptive father, Urufu, who, when using the weapons, was feared as "Plated Fist Urufu." Upon Urufu's death when Spike was still young, Spike took ownership of the brass knuckles in loving memory of the fishman who took care of him so well, thus becoming a treasure of Spike's, which he fiercely protects and adamantly takes care of.

Much like when used by his father, while in use by Spike, the Plated Fists are a frightening weapon; having been used to smash apart buildings, ships, boulders, and metallic constructs alike with a few well placed punches. Despite looking nothing more than like a pair of simplistic knuckle dusters, which some foes have foolishly underestimated, more experienced opponents have been keen enough to note that when used by Spike, they're nothing short than weapons of mass destruction. This is largely due to the fact that with each heavy swing of Spike's arm, the force of the punch channels down the arm, wrist, and then the fist, and is then stored within the edge of the Plated Fists, where upon impact, the compressed strength and energy explodes, creating untold destruction. Made even worse when Spike increases his strength with the power of his Devil Fruit, which only makes the effects of the Plated Fists more debilitating than usual. And after learning how to harness Haki, Spike's punches have become infamous, to the point where weaker enemies have become terrified of facing them one on one.

Thanks to the quality of the Eve Steel the knuckles are made from, it also serves as a form of protection for Spike's hands when in combat, as he tends to try and solve nearly all his problems with a few good punches. Therefore, even when punching a cannonball or a well-made sword, the Plated Fists can absorb the impact, and leave Spike's powerful knuckles (relatively) unharmed.

Haki
Kenbunshoku Haki: Color of Observation: At first, Spike was unable to learn Haki, though after some instruction and lessons from his crewmates, Spike can now wield Kenbunshoku Haki with effective skill, being capable of anticipating his opponents' moves and counter-attacking with his fighting prowess. His range is about 2/3rds of a mile.

Busōshoku Haki: Color of Armaments: At first, Spike was unable to learn Haki, though after some instruction and lessons from his crewmates, Spike can now wield Busoshoku Haki with effective skill, being capable of using it to make an invisible armor, strengthening his attacks, strengthening his Plated Fists, or fighting Logia users more effectively.