The auction continued with intense fervor. Amid the competition among bidders and the Chamber's skilled promotion, the price rose to unimaginable levels. Most people present had never witnessed such wealth in their entire lives.
The space pirates suddenly felt this deal was tremendously profitable. Even after deducting the Chamber's transaction fee, they'd still receive a massive windfall—more than they might earn after ten years of hard work.
At that moment, a high-pitched voice cut through all the quarreling. "Stop arguing! You people can't realize your wishes anyway. Even if you win the bid, there will always be only six—which is useless! Besides, the prices you're offering are far too low. A few planets and some technologies aren't nearly enough!"
Everyone looked toward the source. It came from a seat hidden in a corner. From the auction's beginning until now, those occupants hadn't spoken once, quietly eating the snacks at their table. Their first words were explosive.
Raditz felt somewhat puzzled. What were these people doing? If they were just here for entertainment like him, why reveal themselves now? These people had made enemies of everyone in the auction house—their words were almost recklessly provocative.
The speaker at their head looked haughty and supremely confident. His pale face was flushed with blood, whether from excitement or some other reason. He surveyed the crowd from his corner position and the current highest bidder, then produced a paper list and threw it onto the stage.
"This is my offer!"
He'd compiled his bids into an extensive catalog. Perhaps fearing people couldn't read it all, or perhaps wanting to create visual impact, the long list of planets and treasures far exceeded what everyone else had offered combined.
Even the host was stunned. She'd never seen such a bidding method, nor such an insane price.
Most people present were cosmic merchants. After this shock, they immediately sobered. After weighing the pros and cons, they all felt regret and relief about their earlier impulsiveness. The shrewd ones had given up bidding long ago. In their view, only investments with clear returns held meaning—they wouldn't pursue losses.
Though the Dragon Balls were valuable, there were only six.
"These people are putting all their eggs in one basket. They aren't ordinary merchants, are they?" Renso didn't need to hear the host's quotation to know. "No one will offer a higher price."
Raditz smiled. "If I wanted to bid, I'd definitely outbid him, but I want to see what their purpose is."
Joking aside—Frieza dared call himself "Emperor of the Universe" with his Northern Galaxy territory and wealth. How could these people possibly surpass that? But Raditz had no reason to intervene and watched quietly.
No one offered a higher price. The host announced excitedly:
"Congratulations to Mr. Rasin for acquiring the Dragon Balls!"
No one applauded. They stared sullenly at those who'd obtained the Dragon Balls, faces ashen. Some couldn't help squinting with envy. "Hmph, they spent everything but only got six beads. Useless without all seven."
"These Tuffles got lucky. I was one of the investors who funded them back then. Never expected them to swagger around now," someone suddenly said from behind.
Raditz and Renso both tensed upon hearing this.
Raditz was surprised because he was too familiar with this race. He'd always thought the Tuffles only existed in parallel universes, but hadn't expected Universe Six to have Tuffles as well!
Renso was shocked because he'd once had an encounter with the Tuffle people—a past he deeply regretted.
"It's actually them... some survived!" Renso whispered, his pupils trembling, expression panicking.
"You also know the Tuffles?" Raditz asked urgently.
Zangya and Android 18 cast curious glances as well.
"It was long ago. Back then, our Sadala Defense Force was still cooperating with Frost. That time, we accepted Frost's invitation to stop an 'evil' nation's invasion." Renso sighed.
"That nation was the Tuffles."
"Yes. Frost deliberately manipulated us, using space pirates to impersonate Tuffles on one side and Saiyans on the other, provoking mutual hostility between us. The Sadala Defense Force thought wiping out the Tuffles was justice, while the Tuffles felt they were fighting in self-defense. In the end, the defeated Tuffles chose to detonate their planet, causing heavy casualties to the Sadala Defense Force."
"Where was Frost?" Zangya asked.
"Unknown... he'd vanished by then."
Raditz frowned. "How do you know such details?"
"After Frost became notorious, some of his subordinates and accomplices were hunted down, revealing his various crimes. Beyond these, there were other heinous acts. But regardless, the destruction of the Tuffle homeland was also the Sadala Defense Force's fault..."
Raditz understood Renso's thinking. Someone with an extreme sense of justice feared carrying this kind of psychological burden most. When one's ideals and actions conflicted through unfortunate circumstance, the guilt and torment were excruciating. It would have been fine if the Tuffles hadn't appeared, but now several stood before Renso, bringing back memories and shame.
However, at this moment, something even more shocking occurred.
Complacent after acquiring the six Dragon Balls, several Tuffles produced an exquisite box with smiles. After opening it through a series of complicated mechanisms, people saw what lay inside—everyone was dumbfounded.
A gleaming sphere rested quietly within, four black stars intertwined across its surface. So smooth and transparent people couldn't look away. They could tell it was genuine—the real Four-Star Ball!
No wonder the Tuffles had dared to risk everything and purchase all six Dragon Balls. They'd already possessed the last one—the most critical piece.
The seven Black Star Dragon Balls, brought into close proximity, began resonating with each other. They buzzed and trembled, starting to flicker. The black stars blinked like black abysses expanding and contracting—beautiful yet slightly terrifying.
"Seven... Raditz, they've collected them all!" Zangya gripped Raditz's arm tightly.
"They came prepared."
The Tuffles announced the seventh Dragon Ball publicly, declaring to everyone with supreme confidence and arrogance: "Have you seen it? This marks the beginning of the Tuffle people's rise! Our nation will be revived at this very moment!"
With that, they turned and departed, rushing toward a new beginning with the Dragon Balls and high-profile declarations.
"Let's follow them." Raditz finally became interested, narrowing his eyes with a smile.