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Grey Worm could kill Jon Snow in Game of Thrones S08E06 if he wanted to. I mean, he just was told that the king must decide and that the king would be chosen by lords and ladies and he agreed.
Why would he do that? I don't think that he was afraid of battle or war.
As Sansa reminds Grey Worm, there are ten thousand Northmen outside of King's Landing who would cause war over Jon's execution (as they have for Robb, Ned, and Ned's father and brother's executions, three of which happened in King's Landing too).
These Northmen didn't accompany Sansa. They are Jon's troops who were already there. They would have picked up arms the second Jon was executed.
Grey Worm may not shy away from battle, but with Danaerys' death, all he has left is the unsullied. Since there are roughly as many Northmen as there are Unsullied, most of them would die in the ensuing battle. King's Landing is not defensible right now. It would be an open field battle.
And then what would be left of Danaerys' legacy? Nothing. There'd be no one left to honor her legacy (as Grey Worm sees it).
How he came to invite the lords and ladies is not clear, but it does make sense. If he can get them to agree that Jon's execution is justified, he prevents retaliation by the Northmen and can save at least some of Daenarys' people from being killed.
He may not care about his life and would gladly give it if necessary, but Grey Worm still understands that there's no point in them dying and being wiped out achieving nothing.
I'd like to think most probably, Greyworm was talked/convinced/outsmarted/tricked into a negotiation (it could also be absolutely bad writing).
When the scene started off, Greyworm was in no mood to let Jon go.
SANSA: Where's Jon?
GREYWORM: He is our prisoner.
SANSA: So is Lord Tyrion. They were both to be brought to this gathering.
GREYWORM: We will decide what we do with our prisoners. This is our city now.
SANSA: If you look outside the walls of your city, you'll find thousands of Northmen who will explain to you why harming Jon Snow is not in your interest.
GREYWORM: And you will find thousands of Unsullied who believe that it is.
The first instance of Greyworm succumbing to the lords and ladies is when Davos starts speaking.
DAVOS: Friends, please. We've been cutting each other's throats long enough. Torgo Nudho. Am I saying that properly? If it weren't for you and your men, we would've lost the war with the dead. This country owes you a debt it can never repay, but let us try. There is land in the Reach. Good land. The people that used to live there are gone. Make it your own. Start your own house with the Unsullied as your bannermen. We've had enough war. Thousands of you, thousands of them. You know how it ends. We need to find a better way.
GREYWORM: We do not need payment. We need justice. Jon Snow cannot go free.
From a firm "No, he should be harmed", Greyworm came down to a "Jon Snow cannot go free." - Davos connected to Greyworm in a common man level and not how haughtily the rest of them spoke to Greyworm. He tried to reason with Greyworm at the same time sympathising with the Unsullied.
Next, it was Greyworm vs Tyrion. A soldier who abides by orders vs a guy who can talk himself out of/about any situation. Tyrion can be very smooth when he wants to, and at that moment, the smart Tyrion further convinced Greyworm.
GREYWORM: We do not need payment. We need justice. Jon Snow cannot go free
TYRION: It's not for you to decide.
GREYWORM: You are not here to speak! Everyone has heard enough words from you.
TYRION: You're right. And no one's any better for it. But it's not for you to decide. Jon committed his crime here. His fate is for our king to decide. Or our queen.
SANSA: We don't have a king or queen.
TYRION: You're the most powerful people in Westeros. Choose one. Make your choice, then....
SANSA: Who, then?
TYRION: I've had nothing to do but think these past few weeks. About our bloody history. About the mistakes we've made......And who has a better story than Bran the Broken? The boy who fell from a high tower and lived. ....
SANSA: Bran has no interest in ruling and he can't father children.
TYRION: Good. Sons of kings can be cruel and stupid, as you well know. His will never torment us. That is the wheel our queen wanted to break. From now on, rulers will not be born....
Notice that here Greyworm no longer speaks, he is well dominated by the lords and ladies. By now, the situation has passed almost out of his hand. And with "that is the wheel our queen wanted to break", Tyrion did a mic drop aimed solely at Greyworm.
Finally, Tyrion tells Jon
TYRION: The Unsullied wanted your head of course, but Grey Worm has accepted the justice of a life sentence.
At the end of the day, Greyworm isnt a king, he is no ruler, he has no ruler and he does't really know administration, negotiations or the ways of how the people in the highest position carry out things, especially in Westeros. He took what he got and left.
Finally to conclude,
Grey Worm couldn't kill Jon Snow as he wasn't in a position to do so (or bad writing). He was talked into "king must decide and that the king would be chosen by lords and ladies" as it was reasonable. Greyworm was no king as Tyrion pointed, nor did Greyworm know if/that he could act like one.
And no he wasn't afraid of battle or war. He just got talked into choosing a king and banishing Jon.
