User blog comment:HandsomeBanana/FT 397 - Steel Review and my commentary/@comment-49.150.150.53-20140825133822/@comment-83.255.195.39-20140825140342

I think it was Gajeel turning his body into steel that made him win the battle and not friendship. The Flashback about the old woman was just supposed to make Gajeels victory feel more epic and special.