It turns out that the Goron Vase was cursed, making the thief more like a Goron.

Using that guy's money, Link paid for a night at a local inn, and his guilt about doing so ebbed away once he entered the room and discovered how soft the bed was. He knew he should feel guilty, but if he was being honest with himself he hadn't slept that well in a long time.

When Link woke up in the morning, he knew something was up with his body and sighed, before getting out of bed and moving over to the full-length mirror on the wall. As much as Link was annoyed, he also knew it was probably coming. After all, he hadn't finished changing the night before, had he? Still, he was very much shocked by what he saw in the mirror. Sure enough, Link looked like a Gerudo woman, with dark skin, red hair, a full figure, and most definitely a flat crotch. He was also seven feet tall, had a little bit of a paunch to his stomach, and his skin was rock-hard, with actual rocks poking out of his back in spots. He looked like a cross between a Goron and a Gerudo. Link was immediately of three minds on the subject. Part of him was freaking out about being a woman, a Gerudo, and a Goron. Part of him was genuinely upset at the pudge poking out from his waist, as it altered his figure. And a different part of him was thinking about how useful rock-hard skin would be in a fight.