Ox Bell

The Ox Bell (オックス・ベル) is a sacred bell that is kept in the plaza of Marineford. It was originally on the warship Ox Lloyd's (オックス・ロイズ号).

Tradition
The ringing of the bell signifies the end of one year and the beginning of another. It is rung eight times to give thanks for the old year, and another eight times to welcome the new year. If it is rung twice, it signifies some sort of disaster or distress.

History
Monkey D. Luffy infiltrated Marineford to ring this bell. He rang it the traditional sixteen times. Lieutenant Commander Brandnew of the Marines analyzed it as a declaration of war, and Killer of the Kid Pirates interpreted the meaning of it as the end of one era and the beginning of another.

However, both parties are incorrect, as Luffy's ringing of the bell was only a distraction, along with his other actions, so nobody in the world outside of the Straw Hat Pirates would notice the real message; in the picture of Luffy after ringing the Ox Bell, a mark is seen on his arm that reads 3D 2Y with the 3D crossed out, representing the amount of time the crew would be separated.

Anime and Manga Difference
The size of the bell differs between media: While it is just bigger than Luffy's head in the manga, it is about as tall as Luffy's body in the anime.

Trivia

 * It is a common tradition in several cultures to ring a sacred bell during New Year's Eve to thank the old year and welcome the new year. It is usually a church bell that is rung twelve times; in Japan, Buddhist temples ring their bells a total of 108 times to symbolize the 108 human sins in Buddhist belief, and to get rid of the 108 worldly desires regarding sense and feeling in every Japanese citizen.

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