User blog comment:FinalFlash18/Random HxH Questions/@comment-14902757-20140704032029/@comment-14902757-20140704181053

It could be that he knew right from the start how strong the King could possibly be after seeing Pitou from a distance and after Colt testifying to the Royal Family's power. If he deduced that Pitou is stronger than him, then it's quite possible all other Zodiacs have less capacity fighting even Pitou alone (which means adult Gon is not just a monster, he could truly had been around the King's level - at least in terms of power not in terms of physical durability). And not to mention that Netero probably won't just ask anybody "hey there's a suicide task I want you to do." If he's still the strongest hunter, then there's nobody else who could have defeated the tandem of Meruem and his Royal Guards without the Rose bomb.