Julian Brandt had barely arrived at Ajax before one small detail caught everyone’s attention. Instead of goals or assists, it was a random hand gesture from his unveiling photos that had fans wondering what exactly he was doing.
Before the anime talk began, Ajax had completed one of the summer’s standout free transfers. Brandt arrived after more than a decade in the Bundesliga, bringing over 500 senior appearances, more than 100 goals, a century of assists and 48 caps for Germany before signing a deal until June 2029.
It was his unveiling, though, that stole the headlines.
In one of the announcement photos, Brandt struck an unusual pose with his hands, leaving many football fans wondering what it meant. Within minutes, anime fans had the answer.
Brandt’s pose is actually a reference to Trafalgar D. Water Law, one of the most popular characters in Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece. Law is a pirate captain and ally of protagonist Monkey D. Luffy, best known for his supernatural ability called “Room.” Using the powers of the Ope Ope no Mi Devil Fruit, he creates a circular space around him where he can control everything inside it, moving people, switching objects, and even performing impossible “surgeries” during battle without causing immediate harm. Before activating the technique, Law makes a distinctive hand gesture almost identical to the one Brandt recreated during Ajax’s unveiling.
That connection was exactly why the simple pose caught fire online. The gesture has become one of the character’s signature trademarks, making it instantly recognisable to One Piece fans and explaining why the reference spread so quickly across social media.
For football fans unfamiliar with One Piece, the reference understandably flew under the radar. The series has become one of the highest-selling manga franchises in history, spanning well over a thousand chapters and episodes while introducing an enormous cast of characters. Trafalgar Law, first introduced during the Sabaody Archipelago arc, has grown into one of the franchise’s most beloved figures, with his “Room” technique becoming one of the most recognisable abilities in the series. It did not take long for anime fans to flood the replies, breaking down the meaning behind the gesture for those unfamiliar with the series.
That confusion only added more fuel to the conversation. Fans who had never watched the anime were left puzzled at first. Some mistook the gesture for something far less innocent, leading to plenty of jokes across X, before anime fans stepped in with explanations. Soon, timelines were filled with side-by-side comparisons of Brandt and Trafalgar Law, with many praising the midfielder for bringing an anime reference into his first day as an Ajax player.
Beyond the viral anime moment, Brandt’s signing has become another reason for Ajax fans to feel optimistic about the club’s new direction under Jordi Cruyff. The move adds to a summer of ambition, with Ajax also exploring a potential move for Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen as they look to add more experience to the squad. On Reddit, Dortmund fans mostly looked back warmly on Brandt’s time at the club, while Leeds supporters were left debating what could have been after missing out on the German. Ajax fans, meanwhile, quickly embraced Brandt as the kind of creative, experienced figure who could add some much-needed spark to the rebuild.
And Brandt’s arrival also fits into a much bigger trend. Brandt is far from the first footballer to bring anime onto the pitch. Griezmann has been hitting One Piece poses for years, Bryan Mbeumo was spotted at an anime screening, while Xavi Simons and Roony Bardghji have brought anime-inspired celebrations onto the pitch, in recent times. For now, football’s anime arc shows no signs of slowing down.
Ajax fans will hope Brandt’s biggest moments come with the ball at his feet. But after an unveiling that already had the internet talking, another anime-inspired celebration might not be too far away. The big question now is simple: if Brandt finds the net on his Ajax debut, will Trafalgar Law return for an encore?
