Summary: Ace goes looking for Kotatsu, but can't seem to find him in any of his normal spots. Worried, the rest of the Commanders help him search, eventually stretching into an inter-ship wide search that ends with no sign of him. Luckily, he's in one of the most unlikely places.

Kotatsu Goes Missing!

"Kotatsu? Kotatsuuuu?" a voice called out, echoing in the Moby Dick. The ship was, as usual, lumbering on in the salty blue waves, soaking in the fair weather they'd been blessed with this day. "Where are you, you silly cat…?"

Izo turned away from the banister, his eyes catching the orange-hat wearing Commander peeking under chairs and in barrels, a questioning look on his face. He seemed to be searching for his grouchy lynx, which wasn't unusual; what *was* unusual is how the patchwork cat didn't come running at Ace's call, squeaky and high-pitched mewls erupting from his mouth. In fact… if Izo thought about it, he hadn't seen the cat at all this morning. More often than not, he'd be trailing behind the hot-headed commander, curling up next to wherever he sat, or sunbathing on the Moby Dick's large deck. But the lynx wasn't in sight - no wonder Ace was looking for him.

"Kotasuuuuu?" Ace called once more, cupping his hands around his mouth to yell. When a few minutes had passed with no sign of him, he sighed, turning and locking eyes with the 16th Commander. "Izo, have you seen Kotatsu today?"

"Not yet; is he not in his window seat?" Izo asked, pointing towards the ship's whale-shaped head. There were a few open compartments in it that let in light, and Kotatsu was known to sleep there for hours on end, so much so that the crew jokingly called it "Kotatsu's Window Seat".

But apparently, the Commander had already checked there - as well as the crow's nest, all the large windows, and Jozu's room. "I've checked *everywhere*," Ace said, giving an exasperated whine. "But he's not coming out when I call him…!"

"Well, have you tried luring him out with food?" Izo suggested, thinking back to how he and the Scabbards would lure in stray animals occasionally. They always came running to them when they brought out their favorite foods. "Perhaps, if he's hungry, he'll come to you."

"He hasn't eaten yet… I'll ask Thatch for some of his favorite foods then!" Ace turned to go running back below deck, before stopping and grabbing Izo's hands. "Can you help me look for him? If more people are looking then I'm sure we'll find him!"

"Of course, Ace - I'm sure he'll surface *somewhere*," Izo reassured, patting Ace's sweaty hand as he led them to the Galley.

It took a while since Ace stopped every few steps to call and search, but eventually they made it. Right now, it was partially filled, on account of lunch being right around the corner. The two rushed through, barely stopping to say hi, and with an urgent push, Ace opened the door to the kitchen.

*"Thatch!"*

The 4th Division Commander turned at the sound of his name, raising his eyebrows at the frantic Ace and harried Izo. He was in the midst of preparing for lunch, and only had a few minutes to spare as he waved the two back out of the busy kitchen and into the dining area. An amused smile rose to his face as he tried to guess what antics Ace was up to now.

"What is it? You know I'm busy," he jammed his thumb back towards the swinging kitchen door, but took a step back as Ace grabbed his arms. "Hey-"

"We need three slabs of Sea King liver, chicken bones, and a strawberry lollipop!" Ace cried out, pausing briefly as a thoughtful look crossed his face. "Also some lettuce and chewed mint gum, if you could."

"... Okay, what prank are you trying to pull now?" Thatch said, unable to process the bizarre grocery list. "And what does it have to do with me?"

"It's not for a *prank*," Ace said slowly, as if it should have been obvious from the start, "it's for *Kotatsu*! He's gone missing, and Izo said he might come out for his favorite foods!"

"Can he even chew gum?" Izo muttered, having never seen the lynx actually eat. Ace rolled his eyes, letting go of Thatch briefly.

"He likes the mint flavor! It helps with his breath!" Ace said, before shaking Thatch by his arms. "And he won't come out until I get his food, so I need your help Thatch!"

"C-can't this wait until a-after l-lunch…?!" Thatch said, his head spinning from Ace's shaking.

"No! I'm sure Kotatsu didn't eat this morning, and he *never* misses his morning meal!" Ace let go of Thatch to worriedly bite his thumbnail, his brown eyes searching under the tables. "What if he's hurt? Or not even on the ship?"

"That's impossible, he doesn't leave the ship without you," Thatch reassured, patting the worried boy's arm. A twinge of guilt passed through him as he watched Ace crawl on the floor, checking under the mostly-empty tables for the patchwork-lynx. "Alright, alright I'll see what I can do for you, Ace."

"Thank you, thank you!" Ace hopped up from the underside of a table, nearly knocking it over as he ran to the cook. "Make at least three - no *six* - plates! Izo can carry two, I'll carry two, and you can carry the last two!"

"Uh, what-"

"Come on - if we hurry, we can check his favorite spots again and put the food down!" Ace pushed Thatch back into the kitchen, closely following with Izo's wrist in his grasp.

Immediately, they were overtaken with the noise and bustle, the smells overwhelming Ace's nose with pleasing scents. Most of the cooks tensed as the Commander barged in, wary of his presence and assumed he was there to steal food before lunch. But, to their surprise, Ace didn't even glance at the half-completed dishes, only watching Thatch as he grabbed six plates, dropping lettuce and discarded chicken bones onto them. The chefs watched in confusion as he reached into the buckets they normally put the undesired parts in, pulling out the old Sea King livers and arranging them on the plate artistically.

"I can't help with the gum and suckers, Ace - you'll have to ask Haruta," He suggested, handing four plates over. "You know how they are when it comes to candy."

"Then what are we waiting for, let's go!" The cowboy hat-wearing Commander didn't even spare them a second glance as he shoved the door open, proudly carrying his plates and making kissing noises, in the hopes that Kotatsu would come to him.

"Thatch…?" Izo asked quietly.

"Yeah?"

"What have we gotten into?"

"... I honestly can't say, but at least it should be entertaining."

~CatDadAceCatDadAce~

Jozu really hadn't been prepared for the sight he'd come across.

He'd been making his way over to the Galley for lunch when he encountered a small crowd gathered in the halls by the storage room. Being taller, Jozu could see over their heads, but whatever it was they were gawking at was blocked by the mass of bodies everywhere. With a bit of finagling, he managed to get in between everyone and towards the front - and like everyone else, he felt his mouth drop in shocked confusion.

Ace was on the ground, crawling on his knees, chicken bones tied into his hair as he waved a Sea King liver around. He clicked his tongue every so often and waved his hand as he inched forward, watching the doors like a hawk. In his back pocket were two more livers and two red suckers. In the other hand was a piece of crisp lettuce, a fresh green color as it lightly dragged on the ground. He stopped at Jozu's feet, wincing as his head bumped the larger man's thigh, then looked up, only now realizing there was a moderate crowd around him.

"Hey, can you all move?" Ace huffed, standing up and dusting his pants off. The lettuce went into his front pocket (where the 3rd Commander would notice more pieces) as he stuck his arms out, shooing everyone to the sides. "I'm busy looking for something, so if you don't mind-"

He made another motion for everyone to clear the hall, but Jozu remained where he was, letting the others leave. They all assumed it was another prank of Ace's and they did *not* want to get caught in it. Jozu, however, knew Ace better than that - he didn't have that mischievous look in his eyes like he normally did. Instead, there was worry overshadowing the normally bright brown color.

"So." Jozu started, watching the young Commander get back down on the ground and pull the liver from his pocket. "What is it that you're looking for, Ace?"

"Kotatsu!" he said, the worry sliding into his voice as he spared the Commander a brief glance before continuing his crawl. "He hasn't come out all day - have you seen him, by any chance?"

Jozu let out a hum as he thought back to his morning routine so far, and gave a brief nod as he remembered where the lynx had been. "Oh, yes - I did spot him at one point-!"

"*Where?!*" the Commander grabbed both sides of Jozu's face, pulling the taller man down to his height. "Where did you last see him?! Was he okay? Was he hungry?"

"He looked fine to me," Jozu muttered, managing to talk around the grip Ace had on his face. "But this was when we met up with Moby Dick II; he was hanging around the boardwalks…"

The Diamond Devil Fruit user trailed off, seeing the increasing alarm build on the younger Commander's face. Before he could take off, Jozu grabbed his arm, holding him slightly in place. "I-I'm sure he's fine, Ace…! I'll help you look, and I'll check my room again to make sure he's not in there!"

"B-but he could be on the other Moby Dick, l-lost a-and scared, and-!" Ace let out a large gasp, much like a worrying mother would. "Didn't Rakuyo say they were on their way to put down some nasty pirates making trouble in one of our regions?!"

Jozu faltered, his grip on Ace's arm slipping as he waved a hand in the air. "Yes, they did, but it should be fine-"

"*Hold on Kotatsu, Acey's coming!*" Ace cried out as he ran full speed towards the deck. Literal flames were trailing behind him as he ran, and Jozu hurriedly tried to stamp them out as he chased after him; but eventually, he was left behind to deal with the mess.

By the time he'd caught up, Marco was holding onto Ace's shoulder, stopping him from jumping over the railing. Next to him was Vista, Izo, and Thatch (the latter two carrying what looked to be plates of garbage). A few members of the 2nd Division watched on with slight amusement, chalking it up as the daily antics of their Commander, until they heard him frantically calling out for Kotatsu.

"But he could be hurt, he could be in danger or scared!" Ace said, pulling against Marco's grip. "I've got to go after them!"

"Jumping into the *ocean* isn't 'going after them', yoi!" Marco countered, pulling Ace away from the banister and dropping him onto the ground. "Now what in Davey's Hell are you doing?"

"Looking for Kotatsu," Izo added helpfully, still holding the plate. Now that Jozu was closer, he could tell it wasn't a plate of garbage; instead, it held Sea King liver, candy, lettuce, and… *chewed gum*?

"He's been missing since this morning, so we've been looking for him," Thatch said, holding up his plate. "But Ace suddenly took off for starboard on his own."

"I believe that would be my doing, Marco," Jozu interrupted, stepping closer. The four all turned to look at him as he spoke. "I saw Kotatsu this morning, when we met up with Moby Dick II. Ace seems to think he might've crossed the boardwalk to their ship."

"He *had to*!" Ace cried out, jumping to his feet. "I've looked everywhere here, and he hasn't answered me and he hasn't come out for breakfast *or* lunch!"

"How about instead of chasing after them…" Marco started, trying (and failing) to hide his amused grin, "we call them and *ask*?"

"... I *guess* that could work too," Ace agreed glumly, digging the toe of his boot into the deck as he crossed his arms. "But I'd feel better going and checking instead!"

"No no, we're calling them first," Marco said with finality, throwing his arm around Ace's shoulder and forcefully walking him towards the deck's door. "If he's there, you can go get him, but if he's not, that saves you a trip, yoi."

Ace stopped protesting as Marco skillfully led him below deck, leaving Izo, Thatch, and Jozu standing on the deck. Nearby, Whitebeard laughed at the antics of his children, one hand holding a mug of alcohol, while the other casually stroked Stefan's coat as he dozed in his lap. Izo glanced up at him, a bemused smile on his face before he turned to Thatch and Jozu.

"Does this mean we can eat lunch now?"

~WhereisKotatsuHiding~

The Transponder Snails were ringing loudly and continuously as Blamenco and a few members of the 6th Division answered them, taking notes and issuing orders. Marco entered the room with Ace on his heels, who pouted and would have rather gone to check himself. Marco deftly maneuvered around the many cords, bodies, and tables that took up their contact room. Normally, he would've just contacted Rakuyo or Namur, or any of the Commanders on the ship using their personal Transponder Snails - but Ace was right in saying they'd gone out to deal with noisy pirates. Calling in the middle of a battle wouldn't be the safest option for them, but Marco could at least call the ship's mainline itself. After all, there are always at least 3 people in the Communications Room at all times, no matter the situation.

Behind him, Ace danced nervously, his fingers rapping against the table as he watched Marco ring up the main Transponder Snail for Moby Dick II. It rang for a few seconds, before there was a familiar click of someone answering the other line. Namur answered, grunting out a greeting as he did so. In the background, the sounds of fighting could be heard.

Before the Phoenix could even open his mouth, Ace intercepted, grabbing the receiver from him.

"NamurisKotatsuwithyouIhaven'tseenhimallday-"

*"Whoa whoa, slow down Ace! What're you calling for?"* Namur interjected, cutting off the anxious Commander. *"Ya know we're kind of in the middle of something, yeah?"*

"Sorry Namur, we know. But Ace was wondering if Kotatsu managed to wander his way onto your deck when we met up earlier?" Marco said, cutting Ace a glare that dared him to interrupt again. "We've looked everywhere over here but haven't found him."

*"Kotatsu…? Yeah… yeah, he was on the main deck briefly, but he definitely wasn't when we left."* Namur hummed. Ace could practically see in his mind as Namur thought, sucking on his bottom fangs whenever he was lost in thought. *"But I was sure Kingdew brought him back over- oi, Kingdew! Didn't you bring Kotatsu back to the main ship before we left?"*

In the background, the 10th Commander could be heard giving an affirmative answer, to which Namur relayed to the waiting Commanders. *"Yup, he brought him over by Pops, and then we left. He wouldn't have been able to wander back onto our deck in that time."*

"See, Ace- he's somewhere on the ship, so let's just keep searching!" Marco said, patting the freckled boy on the shoulder. He made sure to thank Namur before hanging up, then crossed his arms, eyeing the pouting Commander. "Now let's go over the areas you've checked so far… perhaps Pops or someone might be able to help?"

At that, Ace suddenly straightened, a hopeful light coming to his eyes. Marco raised an eyebrow, his smile stretching wider as Ace began speed walking back to the upper deck. Marco easily kept up with his pace, but he was definitely curious as to what put this pep in his step. He made several attempts to ask him, but apparently, Ace's mind was solidly focused on whatever had given him an idea. Marco would just have to wait until he stopped to figure it out. Once they reached the deck, however, Ace didn't stop, marching straight to Whitebeard, who raised an eyebrow at the determined set in Ace's face.

"Pops," Ace started, crossing his arms and without a doubt, giving Whitebeard an accusatory glare, "Where is Kotatsu?"

Whitebeard gave a huff, averting his eyes slightly as he took another drink from his mug. "I… have no idea, son."

"No, I'm sure you do- you've been sitting here all day, and Namur said that Kingdew brought him over to you before they left! *You* were the last person to see him, so- where is he?" Ace said, watching as the large captain moved his hand to pet Stefan, who was curled up on his lap, napping.

As he did, however, Stefan shifted, standing on Whitebeard's thighs and revealing-

"Kotatsu!"

The lynx sleepily lifted his head, giving a lazy "mrow?" at Ace and Marco. Slowly, he stretched his front paws, before hopping down and coming up to Ace, rubbing his face and body against his legs. Whitebeard clicked his tongue, giving a disappointed stare to the now-awake cat. "Dammit…"

"Pops!" Ace whined as he hugged Kotatsu tightly. "You knew I was looking for him and he was with you the whole time?!"

"Well… you never asked me if I saw him…" Whitebeard weakly deflected, trying (and failing) to hide his pout.

*"I just did!"*

"That doesn't count, brat."

"Still, you saw me looking for him! Why didn't you say anything?!"

"Kotatsu *never* sits on my lap…! He did today, *and* with Stefan! How could I pass up an opportunity to have *Kotatsu* sit on my lap?!"

Marco couldn't help but to giggle at the argument between Whitebeard and Ace. All the while, the cat they were fighting over paid them no mind, instead choosing to steal the gum and lollipops from Ace's pockets. Still, at least Kotatsu was okay; who would've thought he'd be in the most obvious, not to mention *safest* spot possible?

"From now on you're not allowed to be alone with Kotatsu you… you… Cat-napper!"

"What?! You brat!"

"It's for the best! Until you learn not to be stingy, you can't play with him anymore!"

"Can I at least play with him on the weekends?"

"No!"