Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece, Eiichiro Oda does.

[SOG]

Silence of Glorification

[SOG]

"Remind me again how I got stuck in this mess, Dad." A tired sixteen-year-old young man named Monkey D. Luffy said to his father, Dragon, as they sailed through fog in the Paradise half of the Grand Line.

"You attacked that ugly brat of a royal betrothed when he said that he was interested in opening a Human Shop within the Goa Kingdom that would impress those Marie Jois pigs once he was crowned in time for the next Reverie." Dragon reminded nonchalantly.

Luffy sighed. "I really need to stop getting into trouble. I just hope when I see Ace again, he won't be too mad."

Dragon chuckled. "I don't know about that, but in my opinion, some direct experience with the sea would've done you some good before you left the East Blue at seventeen, like you planned at first."

"I don't know, Dad. I guess I can kind of see what you mean about being prepared for what you want to do, but a large part of me really wanted to take my travels as a bunch of surprises."

Dragon placed his hand on his son's shoulder. "Don't worry, Luffy. It's not like you have to stay with my number one supplier for life. He's also a strong fighter, so I'm sure he'll teach you a few things should you ask."

Luffy giggled. "Yeah, you've got a good point there." He then thought hard before asking. "By the way, what's this friend of yours like?"

"Oh, Bromista?" Dragon commented gladly with his son's more positive change in attitude. "Well, before I talk to you about him, you must remember that everything about him, including his alliance with me, is something that you shouldn't say for the whole world to hear. Your Grandpa told me you're not exactly a liar, but I think, with the right amount of practice, you can be good at ignoring the truth and therefore keeping it from being discovered by those who would do Bromista and his crew great harm." Narrowing his eyes with a serious disposition, he asked. "Think you can do that?"

Luffy nodded eagerly. "I won't tell the truth about what Broman does at all, Dad. I promise."

Dragon smiled, despite internally wincing that Luffy got the name wrong. "Good, and as I was saying, Bromista is one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea: an association of strong pirates pardoned of all crimes by the Government in exchange for their assistance in fighting against more uncooperative criminals."

"Like you and your army, Dad?"

"Pretty much. Alongside the Four Pirate Emperors in the next half of the Grand Line as well as the Navy itself, the Warlords are considered by the Government's top leaders to be a crucial element in keeping the world in balance. While they aren't the most popular topic to talk about, Bromista and his crew, the Cardplayer Pirates, have made themselves one of the more successful and, if not well-liked, tolerable allies of convenience to the Government."

"What does he do?"

"Well, from way back when they were starting out, the Cardplayers have long been involved in Underworld smuggling activity from the Four Blues to the Grand Line."

Luffy's eyes narrowed. "They sell slaves?"

Dragon shook his head strongly. "No, never. Bromista has even told me that if he could afford angering the World Nobles, a force he's not ready to fight yet, he'd do what he can buying up as much Human Shops as he can, so he can burn them all to the ground." Sighing for a moment, he went back on topic. "The smuggling he's involved in has to do with weapons and food that are sold to struggling and defenseless groups and nations, such as my fellow Revolutionaries and I when we were starting out. However, after he became a Warlord, Bromista has only been making such deals with me in secret, and he actually owns a few legitimate businesses that sell not only food, but toys, medicine, and a lot of other stuff that has improved the quality of life in many countries."

Luffy raised an eyebrow, only partially understanding what he was told. "So, I can trust him and his crew, right, Dad?"

"Yes" Dragon nodded before turning away as if he were sensing something approaching. "And just to let you know, almost every high-profile crewmember, including Bromista himself, use aliases."

"What?" Luffy crooked his head in confusion before remembering what that word meant. "Oh, you mean like names, only not exactly true, but aren't epithets, either."

"That's correct." Dragon replied distractedly. "Anyway, their ship should be here shortly."

Luffy looked around confused. "Really? I don't see anything."

It was then that a gigantic snail with a castle and sails on top of its shell appeared from within the fog.

"Whoa!" Luffy exclaimed excitedly. "That's the Cardplayers' ship?!"

Dragon laughed in amusement. "I thought you'd like it. That type of vessel is largely used by a notorious North Blue kingdom that makes the idiots at Goa look even more pathetic."

"Must have cost a huge fortune to buy it."

Dragon laughed harder. "No, they seized it when they were still active pirates and have kept it ever since, no matter what sort of demands the old Warmongers have issued."

Luffy laughed as well. "I guess I can't blame them."

Sighing, Dragon patted Luffy on the back. "Well, I guess this is goodbye for now, son."

"It's okay, Dad. We'll see each other again someday. Thanks for taking me this far and for being a better father to Sabo than either of his birth parents were." Giving a quick hug to his surprised father, Luffy then jumped straight on the platform attached to the giant snail's shell.

Entering the castle through the front door, Luffy saw that nobody was around, which sparked what he thought would be a good surprise greeting to the Cardplayer Pirates.

"Calm." He said, using his Devil Fruit power to cancel all noises that he would have caused.

[SOG]

In the castle part of the vessel referred to as the Family Suit, the Cardplayer Pirates were divided between keeping the snail-ship on course and relaxing in the lounge. The Captain and two of his crew officers were doing the latter. The eternally young Donquixote Rosinante, also known as Bromista, was reading a book, Monet was reading a newspaper, and Sugar was enjoying herself to a bowl full of grapes. Of course, silence can be a bit discomforting overtime, so Bromista decided to make some conversation.

"I checked the calendar, girls." He started with a pleased smile. "And it looks like the time since you've been in the family will reach its tenth anniversary in the next two days."

"It's been that long?" Monet asked rhetorically with a grin.

"That's right. Have anything special you want to do?" His smile then turned devious. "Or anyone you want to do something special with?"

Both adult women sighed irritably. Their captain had been encouraging them to find love interests of their own for what felt like ages. It almost made Sugar wish she ignored Bromista's warnings about the consequences of eating the Hobby-Hobby Fruit at a young age, so that she wouldn't have to deal with that kind of stuff. Just as Monet was going to respond to that, Bromista, on instinct, threw his arm out behind the couch he was sitting on, in opposite of the one the two sisters were sitting at, and in a flash, a scrawny teenager with a Straw Hat was being held by the shirt from the Cardplayer Pirate Captain's grip.

"Don't even think of blowing a raspberry, kid." He warned in an unsurprised tone.

"Who is this?" Sugar asked around. "I haven't seen him before."

"Me neither." Monet replied.

"Uh, remember the kid Dragon said he'd be leaving with us for some time?" Bromista inputted.

"Oh." Both Monet and Sugar said in unison.

"How did you sneak up so quietly like that on us?" Sugar asked.

The kid, Luffy as Bromista remembered his name to be, made a few mouth movements as if he were speaking until he realized from watching the others' confused reactions that no sound was coming out at all. Therefore, he clapped his hands together and tried again. "I ate the Calm-Calm Fruit. It isn't good for fighting, but it does make me quite sneaky." He then turned to Bromista himself. "Are you Broman?"

"It's Bromista, sport, and yes." The tattooed Warlord said before he placed his book down and took out a cigarette and lighter. "Don't get me wrong, kid, I think we'll get along quite well, but I think I should take a good luck smoke just to be sure."

"A what?" Luffy asked flatly and was a bit annoyed that he was still in the man's grip.

"I wouldn't do that, if I were you, Captain." Advised Sugar just as flatly. "You're practically infamous for your clumsiness after all."

"Relax, I got this." Bromista tried to reassure with the cigarette in his mouth before lighting it.

As Monet and Sugar blinked seeing that nothing bad was happening at the moment, they, along with Luffy, then panicked when they saw the cigarette drop out of their captain's mouth and lit his pants on fire.

"Oops." Remarked a shrugging Bromista.

"Oops?!" An angry Luffy repeated.

"Snow Hut!" Monet chanted and let loose snow on her captain's pants which would put out the fire, yet unexpectedly tip his balance that he threw Luffy straight at her face to face.

"Captain, Captain?!" A worried voice boomed as the Mink navigator Bepo, surgeon Law, and crewmember Bellamy marched through the door to the lounge, Bepo taking the lead. "Are you okay?! We heard shouting and smelled smoke and…"

Any voice of concern died down as they saw the most unlikely thing they thought they would ever see: a teenager kissing Monet on the lips as they laid on the floor.

"Wow, I was actually wondering if she was into anyone, period." Bellamy commented at last.

"Get off my sister, you little punk-ass!" Sugar yelled at last after another moment of silence.

Luffy yelped and got off quick. He attempted to apologize, but then found his face in Monet's hands who glared at him seriously.

"For a long time, I refused to bother with such things until you showed up and did that to me." She said with a snarl. "You'd better be responsible for it, you little brat!"

When it looked like Monet was going to seriously hurt Luffy, she left everyone gob-smacked when she instead kissed him passionately until Luffy shrugged and returned the feeling.

"Let's just go, guys." Law suggested at last before sweat-dropping when he saw Bromista's look. "We need to get the boss new pants, anyway."

[SOG]

On A03, there's a story called Of Silence and String which has the Donquixote Brothers switch places. Honestly, such role reversals tend to rub me off unless they're done in a manner I find to be realistic, considering the subject at hand.

Anyway, in this AU, think of a world where the World Nobles, upon seeing a ten-year-old Doflamingo's fighting potential, chose to see that he was welcomed back as a future Cipher Pol agent to be trained. Therefore, he left his grief-stricken brother and misguided helpers for dead, forcing them to work together as a crew of their own. In some ways, I can see it being like the canonical Donquixote Pirates, only any of its darker aspects are tempered by Rosinante's kindness and sincere affection for his shipmates. Kind of like Luffy when you think about it.

I can imagine a lot of differences in the world of One Piece brought by "Bromista", which is Spanish for Joker, being around more often than his insane sibling. Can't you?