WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Dragon Ball Super Chapter 77, "Bardock, Father of Goku," by Akira Toriyama, Toyotarou, Caleb Cook and Brandon Bovia, available now in English through Viz Media.
Chapter 77 of Dragon Ball Super has given us just a bit more information about the Heeters, four siblings that act as brokers for the planets that Frieza conquers. We've known since the Namek Saga that Frieza uses his army to cripple the defenses of the target planet to the point that they have no choice but to surrender, or until everyone is dead. But it appears that, even if a planet is under his control, Frieza uses the services of the Heeters to broker sales of these conquered planets to other lifeforms. However, Chapter 77 also reveals that the Heeters aren't just scamming their clientele.
Led by Elec, the Heeters arrive on a planet once it has been taken over to repair any damage in preparation for sale. However, it seems that they have their own hidden agenda. In a flashback, Bardock overhears the group plotting to undercut Frieza and only give him a portion of what they're going to charge the Sugarians for Planet Cereal. They also plan on overthrowing him.
They don't have the power that Frieza has, nor the army, but Elec boasts that they will triumph with "wits, wealth, and intel." We've seen how they place bounties on lifeforms they think have important information that may lead to their victory. They are also now in possession of one of the two Cerealian Dragon Balls. This means that they could simply wish to have the power to overthrow Frieza.
This leads to the question of how long have the Heeters been working with Frieza. We know that his family has been collecting planets for centuries, slowly gaining more and more power rather than trying to take it all at once. So how long has Frieza been using the Heeters as brokers? It's been at least 40 years, given the two factions were working together when Cereal was conquered. But did the Heeters work as brokers for Cold and Chilled as well? Did the Freeze Family take over their home planet and force them into the position originally? Elec and his group are motivated by greed, so it could be they saw a chance to hit it big and took it, offering their services freely.
We can assume that the clientele bidding on the new planets are also victims of Frieza and his army. The Frieza Force goes in, conquers a planet and the Heeters come in and offer to sell the survivors a new one. Once paid, the cycle continues and no one is the wiser. It not only allows Frieza to conquer worlds and add new members to his army, but he and the Heeters both get paid, though the Heeters aren't exactly forthcoming with the amount they make from a sale.
Like Frieza's family, the Heeters are taking things slow before going in to take complete control. They could have made their move while Frieza was dead, but instead they waited. This could be down to pride and reputation. Taking over a dead man's enterprise is one thing, but doing it while he's still alive ups the credibility of the opposing party, especially when that man is Frieza. Taking his empire from him directly would only increase the Heeters' notoriety and strike fear into those who would oppose them. If Frieza was seen as powerful, how would the family that overthrew him be seen? It's all about the illusion of power and superiority.
