Monkey D. Luffy is the protagonist of the manga and anime One Piece. He is an incredibly powerful character who wants to become the new pirate king by finding Gol D. Roger's One Piece treasure. Over the years, Luffy has experienced many adventures and accomplished a series of things that have allowed him to become the hero he is. Some of his actions are clear, while others remain a mystery to many, including some die-hard fans of the series. One of these events is Luffy ringing the (in)famous Ox Bell 16 times at Marineford, and in this article, we will explain why Luffy did it.

Luffy rang the ox bell 16 times to distract himself. The bell usually rings after a year to welcome the new year or in case of an emergency, but since neither of these things happened, we can deduce that it was a form of distraction and a signal to his Straw Hat Pirates, who were the only ones who understood the true meaning of this act.

In the rest of this article, we'll expand on the answer we've given you. We'll talk about the significance of the Ox Bell in One Piece: when, how, and why Luffy rang it, and what it actually meant. If you're not fully up-to-date on all the events of Oda's One Piece, we must warn you that there may be spoilers ahead.

The ox bell is a very important symbol

The Ox Bell is a sacred bell located in Marineford's central square. The bell was originally housed on the famous battleship Ox Lloyd's. It is usually rung to mark the end of one year and the beginning of another. It is rung eight times to give thanks for the year that has just ended, then repeated these eight times to welcome the new year. If it rings 16 times without interruption, it indicates a remarkable event: disaster, new era, and the like. After the Marineford War ended, Luffy, still recovering from his injuries, infiltrated Marineford. He headed to this bell and rang it sixteen times, as is tradition.

This signal has been interpreted in different ways: Brandnew saw it as a declaration of war against the Navy, while Killer of the Eustass Kid Pirates understood it as the beginning of a war. A new era for piracy. However, Luffy's true objective in this endeavor was to send a message to his companions, scattered by Bartholomew Kuma, to the four corners of the Grand Line.

To do this, Luffy appeared before a crowd of journalists, surprised by his presence, with a new tattoo on his arm. This tattoo is in 3D 2Y. This means that the companions, who were previously supposed to meet three days after parting, postpone their meeting on the Sabaody Archipelago for two years, which will allow them to train hard, causing the two-year suspension points in the manga.

Luffy chose a strange moment to ring the bell

Luffy continues to be treated in Law's submarine, with Law, Ivankov, Boa Hancock, and Jinbe commenting on the extent of the damage he has sustained, and Jinbe fearing his reaction to everything that had happened upon his awakening. Hancock also realizes that the prisoners of Impel Down, who are Ivankov and his followers from New Kama Land, are on Luffy's side.

After two weeks of recovering from his injuries, Luffy awakens in Amazon Lily and goes on a rampage, blindly asking where Ace is. After slowly remembering Ace's death and continuing to destroy the rocks and trees in the forest, he stops for a moment when Jinbe tries to explain that Ace is dead and the war is over.

Luffy realizes it wasn't a dream by squeezing his cheek tightly and begins to cry over his loss. While crying, he begins to remember himself when he met Ace. After the flashback, he begins to doubt his abilities and begins to think about how he could become the Pirate King if he is too weak. After that, Luffy has a small verbal and physical fight with Jinbe who tells him not to be sorry for his brother's death, and that he hasn't lost everything yet.

Luffy then remembers that he still has something priceless: his crew, and declares that he wants to go to the Sabaody Archipelago to find his crewmates. Shortly after, he meets Silvers Rayleigh at Amazon Lily's and learns about Shakky's relationship with Nyon, Boa Hancock, and her sisters. Luffy asks if any of his crew members have returned to the Sabaody Archipelago, to which Rayleigh likely replies that none have.

After Rayleigh explains how she discovered Luffy was on Amazon Lily, Rayleigh explains that if Luffy returned to Sabaody, the same tragic events she suffered would occur again. Luffy then begins to listen to a proposition Rayleigh makes to him. Although the answer is still unknown, a few days later, a newspaper article stating that Luffy was alive spread throughout the world. However, something lingers in the newspaper regarding Luffy's actions.

The article revealed that Luffy had indeed infiltrated Marineford a second time, accompanied by Jinbe and Rayleigh. A few days prior, it is shown that after stealing a marine ship, they surrounded Marineford once, which, according to the Lieutenant Commander, circling an island is a memorial service for the dead. Luffy then entered the square and rang the ox bell 16 times, throwing a bouquet of flowers into the rubble, then bowed his head in silent prayer, leaving Marineford immediately afterward.

While many other pirates such as Supernovas speculated on what this could mean, the Straw Hat Pirates understood the hidden meaning behind Luffy's actions. Zoro was the only one who took a while to understand, believing that Luffy wouldn't do something like that. After a short while, Zoro deciphered the message and explained its meaning to Perona, showing her that on Luffy's right arm, there was a tattoo that read "3D 2Y" with the "3D" crossed out, meaning that their meeting would not take place for three days as they had planned, or in two years.

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Luffy is later seen on the Kuja Pirates' ship, resting to recover from his injuries. The other Kuja Pirates stand beside him, watching under Hancock's command as they play with his elastic skin.

Luffy then says that he hopes his message reaches his crewmates. Rayleigh then assures him that she will, as it was very rare for him. Jinbe finally leaves the Kuja's ship as he is transported onto a whale shark after Luffy and Jinbe thank the others, and Jinbe tells him that he will continue to help Luffy later in the future and that he looks forward to meeting Luffy and his crew two years ago. Luffy eventually arrives on Rusukaina, a deserted island northwest of Amazon Lily Island, with Kuja and Rayleigh where Luffy was trained solely by Rayleigh.

Rayleigh explains all three forms of Haki simultaneously, demonstrating Kenbunshoku, Busoshoku, and Haoshoku on a giant elephant. This demonstration excites Luffy, who admires Rayleigh and is eager to learn Haki. Luffy then places his hat on a rock, which is the only safe place on the dangerous island, along with the Vivre Card, while saying he is going on a pirate vacation for two years.